Young product designers and specialists gathered at De la Salle-College from Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) for a two-day event that underlined the role of human-centered design in the further development of user experiences and environmental care.
The forum was referred to as “Ergoneering 2025: Sustainx”. The forum contained lectures and a student design competition in which participants from academic institutions and industry were brought together.
Organized by DLS-CSB Industrial Design program in cooperation with the College of Engineering at De la Salle University and the human factors and the ergonomics of the Philippines (HFEP), the event included discussions from experts in production, design and ergonomics.
Tina Sabarre, founder of Startup Hiblatech and Executive at Women's Leadership Initiative Philippines, discussed entrepreneurial approaches to sustainable innovations. It introduced Hiblatech's efforts to develop natural fibers with the help of technology and raw materials from nature.
Andrew Thatcher, President of the International Ergonomics Association and professor at the University of Witwatersrand, emphasized theoretical and empirical insights into ergonomics and sustainability.
Ferdinand Raquelsantos, emeritus chairman of the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines, also shared decades of experience in the Electric Automotive sector.
On the second day, Margarita Viray, graduate and furniture designer Margarita Viray showed, who spoke about the integration of natural art and design thinking in her pieces of wood. Dr. Anthony James Bautista from the University of Santo Tomas also presented his inexpensive telephoto robot, which is designed for logistics support.
A highlight of the event was the Productx competition, in which the students create sustainable product designs. The main prize was aimed at the Benilde students Anne Trisha Bote and Patricia Denise Dela Cruz for “B2B”, an ergonomic office chair with a transformable footrest that serves as a chest left.
The first runner -up was “recycling isolation board”, a solution for textile waste developed by Earlbert Jove Dee and Jan Raphael Tolentino. “Aero-Chap”, a portable veneer kit by Neth Mijares and Andrea Tapayan, took second place. A special quote was awarded to “Bambience”, an insect trap designed by students of the Technology Institute of the Philippines and Don Bosco, an insect trap driven by bamboo.
The winners received cash prizes and gift vouchers with the support of Smart Communications Inc. and Hfep.
The judges included Zeke Bernardo, a DLSU professor who specializes in affective design and explainable AI. Isidro Marfori, director of Cemtre and Solar Car Project at DLSU; and Noel Nikko Cagurangan, faculty member and consultant at Benilde
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