The James Dyson Award has just announced the longlist of national winners and runners-up, with John Carlo Luna Reyes from the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman taking the Philippines’ top prize for his self-farming solution for coastal communities.

The renowned international design competition celebrates the next generation of design engineers by giving them a platform to showcase their ideas and make a name for themselves. Launched in 2005, it rewards winners with a significant cash prize that could generate media exposure that could kickstart their careers or help launch their own businesses. The competition has since supported over 400 inventions and provided over one million pounds in prize money across 28 participating countries.

The Philippines has showcased a promising lineup of inventors in the past years, including the 2023 National Winner and Top 20 Finalist, Jeremy De Leon, who invented a portable keychain microscope,Make-roscope, and the 2021 National Winner and Top 20 Finalist, Mark Kennedy Bantugon, who created the Pili Seal, a sustainable aircraft sealant.

This year’s brief instructed participants to design something that solves a problem. Last Sept. 2, 2025, The Beat Asia got to meet the national winner and runners-up, who each presented their fascinating inventions tackling various issues in their own communities.

Both national runners-up hailed from Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT). The first, ChillWise, developed by Jayvimar B. Sumagang and John Joseph P. Banticil, is a passive energy-regulating cooling panel system made from agro-waste. The second, Lambooply, created by Sandrew Rogel Eya, Jo Jane Nalam, and Guendolyn Almonte, is a sustainably engineered material that combines bamboo and Lampakanay grass for versatile applications. Each student team presented their innovations, sharing the research and experiments behind them and highlighting their potential as sustainable alternatives.

The 2025 Philippine national winner of the James Dyson Award tackles the lack of sustainable and workable livelihood options in coastal communities in the Philippines. Despite the passage of the Salt Industry Development Law, the country imports 93% of its salt needs, showing how the once-thriving local salt industry has deteriorated. This decline is reported to have been driven by multiple factors, including climate change, limited technological advancements, a lack of consistent government support, urbanization, and the reclamation of bay areas, as well as the construction of coastal roads, disrupting traditional salt beds. Over time, these pressures, coupled with waning interest in salt farming among younger generations, have left coastal communities struggling to sustain what once was a vital source of livelihood.

John Carlo Luna Reyes introduced SolAsin, an accessible, solar-based method for producing high-value flaky salt using seawater and sunlight. The product was inspired by his hometown in Pangasinan, which, when translated literally, means “a place where salt is made.” The UP Diliman industrial design student wanted to create something that would revitalize the local industries and reduce dependence on imports.

“Growing up in Pangasinan, I saw firsthand how coastal communities struggled to access sustainable livelihood opportunities,” shared John. “As a designer and an Iskolar ng Bayan (local scholar), I have always felt a responsibility to use my skills to empower my own community.”

One of the challenges of salt production is the need for salt beds, which often demand vast amounts of land and capital. SolAsin is a standing solution for this as it is compact, sustainable, and easy to use. It only requires filtered seawater, sunlight, and occasional remixing to produce premium flaky salt, a variant with high market value in small quantities that can be sold to nearby food establishments, hotels, and even tourists, creating new livelihood opportunities.

“This recognition is more than just a personal achievement — it is a win for the communities that inspired SolAsin,” he said. “My goal has always been to design with and for the people, and this award gives me the opportunity to further develop the project so it can truly uplift local salt farmers. I hope this inspires more young Filipino designers to look to our own communities and industries for solutions that can create lasting change.”

The inventor walked us through his design process, how he approached the problem by first understanding the community’s existing livelihood assets before discovering exactly what they needed. Originally part of his college thesis, SolAsin is a readily available flaky salt farming tool made up of a High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) absorbing tray and a Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol (PETG) protective covering. It may seem like a simple design, but it’s actually quite clever, how the absorber is divided into two parts — one ridged and angled to speed up evaporation and raise salinity, the other flat and deep to allow slow evaporation for flake formation. He applied a compact tray-style design made using thermoforming. Not only is it easy to set up, but it’s also low-cost.

John also explained how the current iteration of the project produces around 150g per week compared to the market’s 240g. This means that for coastal communities to reach their monthly income of P10,000 to P13,000, they will need around eight SolAsin trays. The inventor expressed that he has plans to expand the product to meet the 240g per week, making it more competitive in the local salt market. He also mentioned that although HDPE plastic has been used as liners in salt farming, he plans to develop a non-plastic material that is both durable and effective as a solar absorber.

“SolAsin stood out for its simplicity, scalability, and social impact. It’s a brilliant example of how design can empower communities and revive local industries,” said Dr. Jaine Cadoc-Reyes, James Dyson Award Philippines National Judge and a Professor from the University of the Philippines Los Baños.

“This invention exemplifies Dyson’s engineering ethos — problem-solving through iterative design. SolAsin’s thoughtful integration of local resources and community feedback makes it a standout solution,” added Melvin John Dela Peña, James Dyson Award Philippines National Judge and Senior Program Manager at Dyson. 

SolAsin, along with national runners-up ChillWise and Lambooply, are set to progress to the next stage of the James Dyson Award. The international Top 20 shortlist will be announced on Oct. 15, while the global winners will be revealed on Nov. 5, chosen by James Dyson.

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