VSU Mechanical Engineering students dominate at first regional conference

The VSU team dominated the first Eastern Visayas Regional Conference held at the Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) on May 1-3, 2025 by winning several awards. 

Their team, composed of mostly second-year BS Mechanical Engineering students swept the awards by placing first both in machine design and pitching design, second place in CAD (Computer-Aided Design), and third place in an amazing race.

The Machine Design champions were Ellie Kim A. Acuyong, Irish Maeveth A. Capahi and Queen Triste. The pitching design winners were Debbie Jean L. Palaran, Gwyneth A. Melo, Mark Anthony D. Pame and Seanne Van Dominiq C. Pumar. The 2nd placers for the CAD Competition were Dan Christian S. Alpos and Christian Lloyd D. Ignacio. While the team of Gwyneth A. Melo, Debbie Jean L. Palaran and Mark Anthony D. Pame landed 3rd in the amazing race.

The three-day conference was participated by Mechanical Engineering students throughout the region to compete in events such as quiz bowl, machine design, amazing race, CAD and business pitching. 

Against experienced contenders from around the region, the young team from VSU have proved that teamwork, group effort and dedication can drown out decades of experience. 

Second-Year Students Outperform Higher year

What makes their success even more interesting is the fact that most of the team members are just second-year students. 

With only one senior, they competed against higher year students who had far more advanced technical training. The pitching design team members had all only undergone an introductory course in developing business proposals before the competition. 

“Gikulbaan mi kay mga fourth year na gud sila, mas daghan sila ug nahibaw-an” (We were a bit worried, since most of the competing teams were senior students. They have more knowledge than what we had learned so far), Debbie Jean L. Palaran admitted, one of the pitching winners. The pitching team shared that their strategy was to draw on their creativity to solve problems and ability to present their design in a clear fashion.

Having one senior was a relief to the machine design team. The sophomore members were almost solely responsible for executing the majority of the tasks. Meanwhile, representatives for the CAD had to quickly adapt to a new and unfamiliar software. Unlike the autocad system used in the university, the competition required a different software-an obstacle they overcame with determination and skill.

The fruit of hard work and skill

Originally an 11-member team, the VSU team was reduced to nine. Despite the setback, the remaining representatives spent hours working excessively refining their project and strategizing for the upcoming competition. Their coach, Engr. Patrick Durotan remarked, “I am so proud of them, especially with the fact that they are only second-year students. I’m excited to see how much farther they’ll go in the next few years”.

This notable excellence brings VSU’s engineering programs into spotlight and a promising start for future competitions. Staying committed to their studies, our Mechanical Engineering students proved that perseverance and resourcefulness provide a strong foundation for new students, and sometimes even surpassing the standards of their predecessors.

This victory secured VSU’s Mechanical Engineering department’s place as a center of excellence, where they mentor exceptional engineering talents ready to do more in the face of larger challenges to come.

This article is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal No. 4: Quality Education.

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