By ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
LAST WEEK (Sept. 7-8), there was this “3rd Battle of Bots (Robots)” at Negros Residences in Bacolod City.
Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology Center (NOLITC) was the “good culprit” behind this special competition.
Such was the very first face-to-face robot intramural in Negros Occidental.
The first two years, of course, were done online due to the coronavirus disease of 2019 pandemic.
This year, 80 elementary and secondary students from 18 public and private schools in NegOcc battled it out in two categories – line tracing and somobot (wrestling of robots).
Who won? I don’t care! What caught my interest? The robots!
Well, I grew up in the poor village of Cudangdang in E.B. Magalona. Robots? I saw just them on television. Never did I fantasize seeing them real. Not in my wild, wild dreams.
But now there’s the so-called digitalization and technological revolution. Things that seemed impossible decades ago are now becoming possible.
I interviewed NOLITC Vocational Administrator Tina Basa-Orbecido, a former Bombo Radyo-Bacolod reporter and a friend of mine. Previously, we were “hardened competitors” when it comes to breaking news at the Capitol – she from Bombo and I from Radyo Agong. Now, I surrender to her when it comes to “tech (technology) topics”. She’s tech-savvy.
‘EXISTENTIAL’ QUESTIONS
I threw some “existential” questions to Tina re: robotics.
But before she answered, I warmed her to “laymanize” everything so I and my readers can easily understand.
Why robotics?
Tina said robotics is one among the major thrusts of NOLITC now. It’s a way to acquaint Negros youngsters with robots and the long-term benefits of robotics.
What are the benefits?
“The skills of coding and decoding robots are vital nowadays,” Tina enunciated.
Then, there’s Melvin Matulac, founder of Philippine Robotics in 2007 who joined Tina in answering my questions.
Matulac said kids involved in robotics sometimes cry due to frustration.
“If they can’t perfect their coding, they really cry,” he said.
But if they can immediately correct and become successful in their commands, Matulac stressed, they jump and shout with joy.
“Their cry and their joy, therefore, are life’s lessons. These teach them how to improve and better their skills in perfecting their commands to robots.”
And that life lessons, the PH Robotics founder said, will be useful to kids ‘till they grow up matured.
What’s the ultimate goal behind this yearly robotics challenge?
He answered: To have a world champion in robotics from Negros Occidental.
‘CONTEXTUAL’ UNDERSTANDING
Having a “hazy understanding” of robots, I read than 30 related articlesabout robots on these. I need to have “contextual” understanding why we need to be acquainted with robots.
Robots, per the many articles I read, are designed to address social changes. Of course, there’s a lot of pros and cons. Robots can do what men can do, but has no feelings. They can be capable like humans because they’re powered by sensors or actuators. But the key factor that they can’t surpass humans is that they don’t have powerful brains.
CRITICAL THINKING
Robots are incapable of critical thinking. Only humans do.
So, enter artificial intelligence (AI), one of the prominent topics in the midst of modernization and digitalization. Human critical thinking is vital to evolving AI.
But at the end of the day, my readings said, humans will still oversee AI decisions, solve complex problems, interpret data and address ethical concerns. That’s why there’s no truth that robots can replace all human jobs sooner or later.
Nonetheless, I am so glad and grateful that the province has this NOLITC and Tina is on top.
Exposing Negros kids and teenagers to the world of robots is so “ideal” and “impactful”.
Yes, there could be risks along the way, but what’s NOLITC is doing right now is more on the positive impacts on the lives of Negros’ youngsters.
As what Matulac stressed, life’s lessons from robotics are vital as kids grow up. The skills leading to an “intellectual arousal” in solving tech-slash-robotics problems constitute to an “immense talent” that not all men are gifted with.
The robotics challenge in NegOcc is the right way to prepare Negros kids for this undisputable “wonderful blessing” offered by the modern world./PN
