Winners of the 1st on-the-spot science news writing contest will receive their prizes and plaques of recognition September 9 at McDonalds Panay Avenue branch in Quezon City.

Ronnalyn Saturnino of F.G. Calderon Integrated School, Engell Franz Gagaragan of Manuel A. Roxas High School, and Francis Vincent Ruvivar Co of Makati Science High School bagged the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes, respectively. 

Eight others earned special awards including Valerie Baricua  of Batasan Hills National High School, Jeniffer Garde of Bagong Silang High School, Abigail Dinah Aguirre of Cayetano Arellano High School, Julius Bryan Jangalay of Muntinlupa Business High School, Geraldine Ferreras of Mariano Marcos Memorial High School, Maria Lucia Soria of Ramon Magsaysay High School, Noel Angelo Ang of Quezon City Science High School, and Trixie Louise Alcaria of Ramon Magsaysay High School.

First prize winner shall receive P10,000, the second prize P5,000, and third prize P3,000; while the remaining eight a consolation prize of P1,000 each. Sixty nine public schools students in Metro Manila participated in the contest.

The contest was organized and sponsored by the Philippine Science Journalists Association, Inc., in cooperation with the Deaprtment of Science and Technology's Science and Technology Information Institute, Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration, Department of Education, and McDonalds.

Contest participants wrote stories based on PAGASA experts' lectures on typhoon and flood nature and occurrence held at the weather agency's headquarters in Quezon City last July 16.

PSciJourn is a non-stock, non-profit organization composed of Filipino science journalists committed to promote public awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the research and development results, and trends in science and technology. Its first writing tilt was aimed at harnessing competency in science writing and reporting among secondary high school students.