The Department of Science and Technology recently awarded 256 outstanding scholars from the Western Visayas region.

The DOST awards scholars with In Touch with Excellence (ITWE) medals in an April 25, 2025 awarding ceremony in Iloilo City. (Tara Yap)
They were recipients of the In Touch with Excellence (ITWE) medal, an annual award for DOST scholars who graduated with Latin honors or being among the top passers of licensure examinations.
“Take with you the fire of curiosity, the discipline of research, and the heart to serve. Be fearless in pushing boundaries,” said DOST-6 Regional Director Rowen Gelonga during the awarding ceremony in Iloilo City. “Be bold in proposing solutions. And be humble enough to collaborate, to listen, and to keep learning,” added Gelonga.
The ITWE awardees with Latin honors were 11 summa cum laude, 94 magna cum laude, and 151 cum laude.
The DOST-6 awarded 13 of alumni-scholars for ranking on top of various licensure examinations – three each in the Electronics Technicians Licensure Examination, the Mechanical Engineering Licensure Examination, and the Fisheries Professional Licensure Examination, two in the Chemical Engineering Board Examination, and one each in the Chemical Technician Examination and Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers.
These scholars graduated in universities in Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, and Iloilo provinces as well as the regional capital Iloilo City.
The DOST-6 still awarded its Batch 2024 scholars from Negros Occidental and Bacolod City despite the creation of the Negros Island Region.