A second RP team for World Solar Challenge?

By Alex Villafania INQUIRER.net WHILE THE DE La Salle University’s “Sinag" (Filipino for "sunlight") solar car project may be celebrating its entry into the prestigious 2007 World Solar Challenge in Australia, it may not be alone in this endeavor. Apparently, another group of Filipinos is also quietly preparing for its participation in the competition, as part of a 15-man collaborative effort between Don Bosco Technical College in Mandaluyong City and the Salesian Polytechnic Ikuei Kosen, an affiliate school under the Salesian universities and colleges. According to the information indicated in the official World Solar Challenge, the Don Bosco/Salesian Polytechnic team’s project is called the “Salesio Solar Car Project” that has a car number 97 and its country of origin is under Japan/Philippines. It has apparently been entered into the 20-year old competition four times from 1996, 1999, 2001 and this year. As such, the Salesio Solar Car will be joined under the Adventure Class category, which is for entries that have been entered in previous WSC competitions. Meanwhile, the Sinag Team’s entry will be under the Challenge Class category, which is for first-time participants. While the website did identify Don Bosco Technical College as part of the Salesio Solar Car Project, it did not specify the school’s exact involvement. As of this writing, Don Bosco has not yet responded to INQUIRER.net's calls to clarify its participation. On the other hand, a representative of Sinag told INQUIRER.net that they knew of Don Bosco’s involvement in the contest and that some Don Bosco students were sent to Japan to help in research for the Salesio Solar Car, though it was still primarily a Japanese entry. Japan has two other entries for the Adventure Class category in this year’s WSC while a third car will be entered as Prototype/Experimental. A total of 43 vehicles from 20 countries are entering the WSC, a biennial event that tests solar-powered car creations on a grueling 3,000-kilometer trip from Darwin to Adelaide, Australia from October 21 to 28. This will be the first time that an all-Filipino team will join the WSC. The De La Salle University fielded 15 students -- four to drive their solar car and the rest to maintain it.