WRC’s 50th Anniversary Water Quiz Bowl: “Flowing Knowledge”

In celebration of the USC Water Resources Center Foundation, Inc.’s 50th year of service, the organization hosted a Water Quiz Bowl themed “Flowing Knowledge” last September 19, 2025 at the Rigney Hall of the Bunzel building in the University of San Carlos, Talamban Campus. This event challenged the students’ extensive knowledge of all things water-related while promoting awareness of sustainable water management. The participants included Carolinian students across 13 different departments, namely Architecture, Biology, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Communications Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Nursing, Pharmacy, Philosophy, Political Science, and Teacher Education. Each team was composed of three members – one 1st year, one 2nd year, and one 3rd year student. They were provided a small whiteboard and a marker to write their answer on, which would be raised to reveal their choice and for the staff to check.   

In line with its aquatic theme, general hydrological and hydrometeorological facts and trivia were covered with great depth. The questions varied from general scientific facts, such as “What is the percentage of all the freshwater on Earth?”, and localized historical data about the average number of tropical cyclones that enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and the highest temperature recorded in the country, to global water and climate facts. Furthermore, they engaged the students with questions like the most polluted Philippine River due to untreated wastewater and industrial discharges, and the water use prioritized in times of scarcity according to Article 22 of the Water Code of the Philippines. Additionally, they incorporated the activities of the water sector and brought awareness of water stakeholders to the general public. These provided insight and substantial information to the students who may have been unaware of such details. 

During breaks, trivia questions were presented to the students to boost audience engagement. The prize for each winner who got the correct answer received IPI merch and giveaways. In the final round, six departments came out on top – Nursing Department garnered 17 points, Electrical and Communications Department scored 22 points, Pharmacy had 21 points, Biology got 29 points, while the Chemical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering departments were tied with 32 points. To decide the winner, a tie-breaker question was given: “What city is at the highest risk of running out of water, a scenario called ‘Day Zero’?, to which the answer was Cape Town. This was correctly answered by the Mechanical Engineering Department, who rose above the rest of the contenders.

With this, the Department of Mechanical Engineering took the highest rank with team members Steven Angelo B. Retutal, Hezekiah M. Mondoñedo, and Ia Nikka Alyana P. Paclibar, coordinated by Mr. Harold Jay I. Papaya, MSME. They were awarded with a cash prize of Php 18,000. In second place was the Chemical Engineering Department, consisting of team members Shane Vast Andrei A. Casino, Troy Mikael N. Flores, and Joel Simon D. Malubay, and coordinated by Mr. AJ M. Rabanes. The team members received a Php 12,000 cash prize.  Lastly, the Biology Department won third place with team members Kurht-daniel Liston, Christine Joy G. Llimit, and Adrianne Francis Tarongoy, coordinated by Mr. Val B. Salares, M.Sc. They were given Php 9,000 in cash. 

Meanwhile, the top 6 winners were granted consolation prizes for their intelligence and efforts as well. All top 3 winners were awarded with medals and invited to and recognized for their achievements during the USC WRCFI 50th Anniversary Celebration Culmination Night, which highlighted all the significant events and activities hosted by the USC WRCFI during the celebration. This event was made possible through the generous sponsorship of USC and International Pharmaceuticals Incorporated. It was a fun and engaging activity that allowed students to show their intelligence, compete, and gain meaningful knowledge on multiple aspects of water and sustainable water management.