PLDT, Smart's maiden hackathon with PUP cultivate youth innovation

PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) powered the first-ever hackathon of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), encouraging students to produce technology-enabled and purpose-driven solutions to create positive change.

“Since 2003, we have partnered with colleges and universities in bringing PLDT and Smart’s innovations closer to communities. Our 20-year partnership with PUP and our support for their first-ever hackathon has further enabled us to address societal gaps through technology,” said Cathy Yang, First Vice President and Head of Group Corporate Communications at PLDT and Smart.

PUP is one of the Group’s pioneer partners under the ‘Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program’ (SWEEP), the Philippines’ first and longest-running industry-academe linkage.

PLDT, Smart's maiden hackathon with PUP cultivate youth innovation, excellence

From approximately 60 teams of young innovators, five teams made it to the final round of the hackathon, who pitched their innovations to a panel of judges comprising PUP mentors, faculty from the University of Alicante in Spain, and tech leaders such as PLDT, Smart, and Samsung Philippines.

Twenty-three-year-old Reymalyn Jane Compendio, a member of Team Agrisphere, shared how their app aims to address the country’s ongoing agricultural challenges through artificial intelligence.

“Our main driving force was the vegetable spoilage issue due to oversupply and low demand. We were inspired that we can do something about it, through technology,” shared Reymalyn.

Twenty-one-year-old Reniel Bryan De Lumban, a member of the team behind Disletra from PUP Sta. Mesa, also expressed their key inspiration behind their innovation.

PLDT, Smart's maiden hackathon with PUP cultivate youth innovation, excellence

“We want to help those with neurodevelopmental disorders, specifically people with dyslexia, live their lives normally through our app. We hope to provide them with a tool that can ease challenges they face,” shared Reniel.

Through the years, PLDT and Smart have underscored the value of inclusive learning and industry-academe linkages. This commitment of PLDT and Smart also supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UNSDG) #4: Quality Education and is aligned with the vision of the Government-mandated Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) formed in 2022. As one of the founding members under the Digital Infrastructure pillar of PSAC, PLDT supports GoDigital Pilipinas (GDP), which aims to expand access to digital technologies and to narrow the digital divide by promoting digital literacy and building a sustainable digital ecosystem.