Ateneo JGSOM students win Quezon City start-up competition

A team of students from Ateneo de Manila’s John Gokongwei School of Management (JGSOM) bested 36 other teams to win the top prize in Startup QC, a flagship program of the Quezon City Government. The students developed PlastiPave, a sustainable paving block that entombs waste plastic with cement and is envisioned for use in sidewalks and bike lanes. 

“By mixing in waste plastic with cement, we aim to prevent plastic from clogging drainage systems and we keep plastic away from our oceans,” explains Ms Abby Lobo, the group’s leader. 

The product has been tested in independent laboratories and has exceeded the minimum required level of 3,000 psi needed for bike lanes.  The product is already being pilot tested in various sites within Quezon City. Other members of PlastiPave include Sofia Labrador, Jo Requioma, Yza Claravall, Lance Calma, and Tyrone Tan.

Another group of Ateneo students won silver for their product, a flat-packable school desk chair using MDF (medium density fibreboard) from coconut fiber. Aimed at solving the shortage of school desks in Philippine public schools, the product is designed to be easy to transport, even to the most remote islands in the Philippines. 

“We designed our chairs to help our coconut farmers get more use from coconut fiber, while at the same time solving the logistical problem of transporting desks by making them light and flat-packable,” explains Mr Eieh Cabanog, the team leader of Bukonstruct. “Our studies show that our product reduces transport costs by up to 80%, helping bring down the cost of school desks.” 

Other members of the team include Missy Cervantes, Raffy Pimentel, Monchoy Gelvezon, and Zach Virtucio.

Both groups are products of Ateneo JGSOM’s Entrepreneurship Series, a 3-semester course under the BS Management that combines prototype development with business strategy.