Selected students and faculty of Mapúa Institute of Technology's School of Mechanical Engineering will participate in this year’s Asian Shell Eco-marathon as one of the Philippines’ representatives. This competition is both an opportunity to exhibit Mapúa’s expertise in mechanical design and demonstrate why Mapúa is considered as one of the country’s premiere school in mechanical engineering education.

The Mapúa Team is led by Dr. Manuel C. Belino with Technical Consultant Engr. John Judilla and Project Leader Mr. Sherwin Magon. Team members consist of selected senior undergraduate students, namely Jericho Rivera, Kenneth Caraig, Karl Co, Willord Garcia, Charles Alviar, Jeferson Nanao, Albert Cudal and Richard Turalba.

The Shell Eco-marathon began in 1939 when two scientists at a Shell research laboratory in the United States laid a wager on whose vehicle could get the most mileage per gallon of fuel. In 1985, this competition for fuel economy was brought to Europe where it was aptly named the Shell Eco-marathon. In its launching in France, the Shell Eco-marathon attracted thousands of young engineers and scientists from 20 European countries to participate. This year, the Shell Eco-marathon will be held in Asia (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) for the first time. The Asian Shell Eco-marathon is an educational platform for engineering students to practice their innovation in designing and building a vehicle that utilizes the least amount of fuel to travel the farthest distance.