Batangas State University (BatStateU The NEU) secured a major global victory, with its student team hailed as World Champion at the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) Singapore 2025 International Finals.
The competition, which brought together young innovators from around the globe, was held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore from Nov. 26 to 28, 2025.
The champion team, Scarlet-Verdant BSU, dominated the highly competitive RoboSports – Double Tennis category, finishing Rank 1 out of 56 teams. The victory by the Philippine delegation reinforces BatStateU’s standing as a powerhouse in robotics and STEM education.
The winning trio consisted of Joseph Bernard Maala, a first-year Bachelor of Science in Mechatronics Engineering student from BatStateU Alangilan, and Light Gabriel Bandayrel and Norjeehan Nasser, both Grade 11 students from BatStateU Integrated School (Pablo Borbon).
The students demonstrated exceptional skill in designing and programming fully autonomous robots, which are required to strategically push all balls from their side of the court to the opponent’s side within a two-minute match. They outperformed strong delegations, finishing ahead of Thailand and Taiwan, which took 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.
BatStateU president Dr. Tirso Ronquillo said the world-class triumph attests to the exceptional talent and determination of their students.
“Their achievement reflects not just their individual brilliance but also BatStateU’s mission to nurture globally competitive innovators who bring honor to the nation,” said Ronquillo.
Other BatStateU teams also posted commendable results in various WRO categories, collectively highlighting the university’s deep pool of young robotics talent. In the same RoboSports – Double Tennis category, Team BSU-IS GMR placed 12th out of 56 teams.
Team JEEP ranked 16th out of 64 teams in the Future Engineers – Self-Driving Car category. Other notable placements include Team SCOPE, which earned 16th out of 72 teams in Senior Future Innovators, Team HUREA, which placed 22nd out of 31 teams in Elementary Future Innovators and Team BSU-IS ALR, which secured 24th out of 95 teams in Senior RoboMission. The teams were guided by coaches Luis Philip M. Oropesa, Eugene E. Mendoza and Jomari B. Montalbo.
The World Robot Olympiad is a premier global competition for young people aged 8 to 22, aimed at fostering a new generation of STEM leaders through challenges emphasizing creativity, engineering design and programming.
BatStateU The NEU continues to advance robotics and engineering education, aiming to strengthen the Philippines’ position in the global innovation landscape.
