High school students develop machine that uses paper to access wifi

The Manila Times

High school students develop machine that uses paper to access wifi  High school students develop an affordable and eco-friendly machine that will provide wifi access to students in their school. Speaking at the Grassroots Innovation and Circular Economy Expo (GICE) 2025 of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on Nov. 21, 2025, Ayessa Bataan, Marivine Manalang, Kristoph Abanid, and Sean Anatang from Caybiga High School in Caloocan, shared their invention, 'Paper wifi,' born out of a simple but urgent issue: lack of internet access at their school. In an interview with the Manila Times, the young innovators said that any kind of paper—scratch, pad, or yellow pad—can be fed into the machine. For every sheet inserted, the system grants one minute and 50 MB of Wi-Fi access. The collected paper is then recycled or sold to help sustain the system and pay for internet costs, making the initiative doubly sustainable.  VIDEO BY ALLEN LIMOS  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe Visit our website at [https://www.manilatimes.net](https://www.manilatimes.net/)  Follow us: Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion  Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital  Check out our Podcasts: Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcher Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein  #TheManilaTimes #TMTNews #DOST #Philippines

Transcript

00:00So, we had been working for around 2 months and the reason why we did that is

00:07we realized that we had the internet access to our school.

00:13So, we wanted to help with an accessible internet connection.

00:17So, we improved the proper behavior of our students.

00:22So, instantly, we had the paper,

00:24and they were able to find the way they were.

00:28But, what is the reason behind that?

00:30Who is the funding for this?

00:32Of course, it's impossible.

00:34It's hard for us.

00:35So, how did you procure this product?

00:38We only use ALS within our school.

00:47So, school doesn't help?

00:49Yes.

00:50But, to what extent did you help the school?

00:53So, we didn't have to say that we didn't completely sure the amount of students.

01:00But, we know that we fully support them.

01:03But, this was for a project in school?

01:06For a competition.

01:07Ah, it was a competition.

01:08Yes.

01:09Okay.

01:10Can you share with us,

01:11kung paano siya nag-work exactly?

01:13Wait.

01:14Wait.

01:15Alright.

01:16So, for example,

01:24So,

01:26yung ano po natin dito,

01:28abuha lang po kayo ng any device,

01:29laptop,

01:30ah,

01:31cell phone,

01:32or even tablet.

01:33Then,

01:34pupunta po kayo sa WiFi.

01:35Ayan.

01:36Sa WiFi po,

01:37pupuksan nyo po yung WiFi ninyo,

01:38tapos may makikita po kayo dun na paper WiFi.

01:40Okay.

01:41Or,

01:42parang po,

01:43parang po sa demo natin,

01:44pupunta po tayo sa Chrome,

01:45paper WiFi.

01:46Okay.

01:47Ayan.

01:48Ayan.

01:49Ayan.

01:50Tapos,

01:51pipindutin nyo po yung insert,

01:52ah,

01:53insert paper.

01:54Ayan.

01:55Pag narinig na po yan,

01:56pwede na po kayo mag-insert,

01:57or read ito sa,

01:58un-existent.

01:59So, kumbaga,

02:00scratch paper,

02:01any kind of paper.

02:02Yes.

02:03Any kind of paper.

02:04Ayan.

02:05Pag narinig nyo po yun,

02:06meron na po kayo,

02:07ah,

02:081 minute and,

02:0950 MP po na,

02:10pwede nyo pong gamitinan

02:11para mag-brows.

02:12So, in one,

02:13paper,

02:14okay.

02:15Okay.

02:16Wala ang specific length naman na,

02:17requirement sa paper,

02:18basta may ma-feet siya.

02:19Yes.

02:20Okay.

02:21Okay.

02:22Tapos,

02:23pinakano nyo po yung instructions

02:24na nakalagay?

02:25Hmm.

02:26Pwede ng,

02:27let's say,

02:28pad paper,

02:29yellow pad,

02:30quiz pad,

02:31yung mga one-fourth,

02:32pwede din ba yun?

02:33Ah,

02:34yun sa one-fourth po,

02:35dapat po ay,

02:36mako-cover niya po ito lahat.

02:37So, yun yung mga one-fourth,

02:39hindi po siya mag-implot.

02:40Okay, okay.

02:41So, basta makover yung buo.

02:42Okay.

02:43Paano yung technology behind it?

02:44Paano siya,

02:45paano nyo na-convert yung paper into,

02:47whatever it is?

02:48Load.

02:49Okay.

02:50Yung minute.

02:51So, meron po kami yung,

02:52yung,

02:53yung,

02:54yung wifi system po namin,

02:55is ah,

02:56yung existing code po yun,

02:57is niretricate po namin

02:58para po dito po,

02:59specifically sa project po namin.

03:01Ah,

03:02dagdag po kami ng IR sensor,

03:04yun po yung magda-detect ng paper.

03:06And, ayun po,

03:07ma-convert po yung,

03:08yung paper po natin into internet.

03:11So, may sensor siya sa loob.

03:13Yes.

03:14So, kung gusto mo na isang oras,

03:1560 na papel ang kailangan mo ilagay.

03:17Yes, that's okay.

03:18Okay.

03:19Saan ngayon ninyo,

03:20ipupunta yung papel na,

03:22maka-collect ninyo?

03:23Yung mga mga-collect po namin na papers,

03:25consider po,

03:26yung rirecycle po namin.

03:27Pwede rin po namin siyang i-benta.

03:29Para din po,

03:30ma-sustain po yung pahalangan ko,

03:32mag-sustain po namin.

03:33At, yung,

03:34bayad din po sa internet.

03:35Ay, sa bayad din po.

03:36Sa internet.

03:37Oo.

03:38So, eto,

03:39ginagamit nyo na sa school ninyo?

03:41Or,

03:42ina na yung ginagamit sa school ninyo?

03:44Or isa lang?

03:45Isa pa lang po.

03:46Isa pa lang po.

03:47Sa classroom pa lang po namin siya na-try po,

03:49and na-testing po.

03:50Um,

03:51dumabas naman po sa result na,

03:52maganda naman po yung kinilabas nyo.

03:54Pero, Arwin,

03:55yung school nyo,

03:56basta supportahan dito,

03:57in case na, sya ba eh,

03:58pinapresent nyo siya right now?

03:59Kung gusto makommercialize?

04:00Yes.

04:01May ganun na,

04:02okay.

04:03Feeling naman po silang,

04:04supportan po yung project,

04:05and palakiin po po yung project.

04:06Okay.

04:07Para mas, ano.

04:08Um,

04:09after nito,

04:10ano pa yung next napupuntahan ng paper,

04:11wifi,

04:12yung mga competition pa ba kayo sa sasagiyan?

04:14Or,

04:15but,

04:16further,

04:17i-enhance pa siya.

04:19If,

04:20if bibigyan po kami ng opportunity na ma-develop po yung project po namin,

04:24ah,

04:25i-develop po namin ito.

04:26And then,

04:27ah,

04:28kapag may mga competition na,

04:29ah,

04:30pwede po maipasok ang paper,

04:31wifi,

04:32sisalihan po namin,

04:33and then,

04:34para po ma-improve po,

04:35ay mapalaki po po mismo yung paper.

04:37po maipasok ang peamin,

04:39ah,

04:40pulli po maipasok ang peamin.

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