Mariano Marcos
State University

MMSU research on centralized self-ordering bags best paper award at int’l confab

By Mary Joy Dumbrique, 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘳

The research on a centralized self-ordering system developed by a faculty member of the Mariano Marcos State University–College of Industrial Technology (CIT) earned the Best Paper Award at the 2026 International Conference on Building Academic Capital: Research Productivity, Impact, and Publishing with Purpose, held from February 6 to 8 via Zoom.

Organized by the International Congress of Innovation-Based Educators and Researchers, Inc. (ICIBER), the global conference was actively supported by educators and researchers to promote research productivity, innovation, and collaboration among academic institutions. 

Mr. Cris Jade Agtang, who authored the study, “TapToGrill: A Centralized Self-Ordering Platform for Kelly’s Korean Grill,” bested other papers from various participating institutions in the said conference. His study offered a new, more efficient way to get orders from customers. 

Aside from Mr. Agtang, other MMSU-CIT faculty researchers also won several awards. In the same “Best Paper Award” category, Dr. Jasper Kim Rabago and Mr. Marc Clinton Dacuycuy, with their study, “Panagpatabon: A Documentation of the Burial Practices in Ilocos Norte, Philippines,” ranked second place. Meanwhile, Mr. Buenaventura Bartolome’s study entitled “Entry-Level Competencies and Learning Gaps of Students in the Construction Technology Program: Bases for the Development of a Student Readiness Assessment Tool” ranked third in the said category.

Moreover, other faculty researchers of the university, namely Ms. Mary Joy Dumbrique, Mr. Christian Rae Agpalza, Prof. Dian Antonette Reantillo, and Mr. Norman Dionelle Tolentino, received special citation awards in the said symposium. On the other hand, Ms. Realyn Salvador, Mr. Dan Jerome Malapira, and Mr. Jerylvin Rabago were given “Best Presenter” awards.

The university also presented 19 other studies, which focused on topics related to academics, history, culture, and innovation. The said researches are fully-funded by the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

MMSU's continued success in various research competitions emphasizes the university’s strong commitment to quality research, which is aligned with the 7-point SUCCEED agenda.