Young product designers and professionals gathered at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) for a two-day event that underscored the role of human-centered design in advancing both user experience and environmental sustainability.
Dubbed “Ergoneering 2025: SustainX,” the forum featured lectures and a student design competition that brought together participants from academic institutions and industry.
Organized by DLS-CSB’s Industrial Design Program in collaboration with De La Salle University’s College of Engineering and the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of the Philippines (HFESP), the event included talks from experts in manufacturing, design, and ergonomics.
Tina Sabarre, founder of startup HIBLATECH and executive at Women’s Leadership Initiative Philippines, discussed entrepreneurial approaches to sustainable innovation. She introduced HIBLATECH’s efforts in developing natural fibers using technology and raw materials from nature.
Andrew Thatcher, president of the International Ergonomics Association and professor at the University of Witwatersrand, highlighted theoretical and empirical insights on ergonomics and sustainability.
Ferdinand Raquelsantos, chairman emeritus of the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines, also shared decades of experience in the electric automotive sector.
The second day featured Benilde graduate and furniture designer Margarita Viray, who spoke on the integration of natural art and design thinking in her wood-based pieces. Dr. Anthony James Bautista of the University of Santo Tomas also presented his low-cost telepresence robot, designed for logistics support.
A highlight of the event was the ProductX competition, which challenged students to create sustainable product designs. The top prize went to Benilde students Anne Trisha Bote and Patricia Denise Dela Cruz for “B2B,” an ergonomic office chair with a transformable footrest that doubles as a chestrest.
First runner-up was “Recycled Insulation Board,” a solution to textile waste developed by Earlbert Jove Dee and Jan Raphael Tolentino. “Aero-Chap,” a portable nebulizer kit by Neth Mijares and Andrea Tapayan, took second runner-up. A special citation was awarded to “Bambience,” a bamboo solar-powered insect trap designed by students from the Technological Institute of the Philippines and Don Bosco.
Winners received cash prizes and gift certificates, with support from Smart Communications Inc. and HFESP.
Judges included Zeke Bernardo, a DLSU professor specializing in affective design and explainable AI; Isidro Marfori, director of CeMTRE and solar car project head at DLSU; and Noel Nikko Cagurangan, faculty member and consultant at Benilde
More information is available at facebook.com/BenildeIndustrialDesign.