Smart Backs Seamless Innovations at AngelHack Manila 2018

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Need is the seed of innovation.

This was the inspiration for the sixth edition of the AngelHack Manila hackathon, held recently at ASPACE Makati, with the theme “Seamless.” AngelHack is the world’s most diverse hacker community, driving innovation of tech products through developer programs.

Spearheaded again this year by PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications through its Developer Network (Smart DevNet), the event aims to enable up and coming tech rock stars from all over the Philippines to build original, creative, and sustainable projects. Smart DevNet is Smart’s developer community program, which promotes app development and technopreneurship by organizing and supporting tech events and meetups.

Teams of five were invited to develop their own innovations within a series of key performance indicators and under strict criteria. The teams presented in front of a panel of judges, who picked one who would have the opportunity to go to Silicon Valley to further develop their startup project.

Paul Pajo, cofounder of Smart DevNet, said the key to this year’s AngelHack was to discover seamless innovations. “Allow people to see, or let other people experience how technology works when it’s all connected, when it’s all happening at the same time,” explained Pajo.

The organizers expected this year’s theme to produce output that would address local and specific issues. “We want to see something very local. I asked them what their interests were, because I think it’s important to build some product that you actually care about,” said Ha Pham, AngelHack regional manager for Asia-Pacific.

A total of nine teams competed for various prizes. In the end, it was down to three teams, with Team Relax, You’re Doing Just Fine emerging as the winner. Their project was a digital paluwagan named “Ipon Pinoy,” a funds- or investment-pooling system using a multi-signature wallet.

The winning team was composed of Martin Magpantay, Joussyd Calubig, Dan Michael Molina, and Jonathan Leijendekker. The team won a slot at AngelHack’s 12-week HACKCelerator program, and an invitation to pitch to venture capitalists in Silicon Valley for Global Demo Day.

“Ipon Pinoy has been a long-standing idea among us, and we are grateful for AngelHack because now we have venue to start and execute this project,” said Magpantay.     

The first runner-up prize went to Team Mongoose for “Renew: Plastic as Currency,” a system that uses tokens for plastic recycling that can be turned into carbon credits. Team members include Kevin Velasco, Julius Plocios, Daniel Francia, Anthony dela Cruz, and Don Vito Alzaga.

Second runner-up was Team Dolphins with “Ligare,” an educational platform that allows students to learn from people capable of teaching them on classes of their choice. The team is composed of college students Kyle Tan, Pia Zulueta, Alexander Go Tian, and Rupert Seňga.

As technology levels the playing field, there is indeed more opportunities for growth especially in developing countries like the Philippines. If the contestants are any indication of the nation’s future, Filipinos have a lot to be excited about.

CMLI Presents Children's Day 2018 with Theme Kislap: Pagsulong ng Kabataan para sa Maliwanag na Kinabukasan

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Jose Rizal, the country's national hero, regarded the youth as the hope of the nation. Honoring his belief, we continuously strive to help the children realize their role in the nation's advancement and fulfill their duties as responsible citizens of the country.

The Children’s Museum and Library, Inc. (CMLI) is a youth leadership organization that has a purpose of promoting the welfare and the development of the country’s youth towards the attainment of Filipino nationhood. The organization is continuously shaping morally upright youth to become progressive members of the avant-garde Filipino society by providing avenues like leadership training, talent development, and values formation.

The CMLI Junior Council – Regional Executive Boards (JC-REB) are the organization’s regional youth arms which are assigned to execute projects that can attain the objectives of the organization in their respective regions.

Being an organization that is committed to empowering the youth for the betterment of the nation, The CMLI Junior Council – Regional Executive Board National Capital Region or the JC-REB NCR proudly presents the project entitled “Children’s Day 2018” with the theme, “Kislap: Pagsulong ng Kabataan para sa Maliwanag na Kinabukasan”. It is a whole-day outreach program filled with fun activities and discussions that would inculcate the ideals and values of the Filipino youth. We will be holding the event on June 3, 2018, at Ipil Hall, La Mesa Eco Park, from 8:00 AM ‘till 4:00 PM. We will have 80 children from the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish as our beneficiary.

For more details, visit www.facebook.com/CMLIOfficial on Facebook or @cmlijcrebncr on Twitter. For inquiries, contact (+63 926 045 4568) or (+63 921 643 7492). Our email: cmlijcrebncr2018@gmail.com,

would also serve as our channel of communication.

Every child has the potential to serve and lead the nation. Let us help them be the spark that will urge the

country and its people to move forward!

Swimjunkie Challenge Series Grows Philippine Open Water Swimming

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Swimjunkie Challenge is the only open-water swimming series that offers long distance destination swims in the Philippines.  Racers travel to swim anywhere from 2.5Km to 10Km in exotic, but challenging swim locations. For the  first race of the season, 280 swimmers made their way to Lobo, Batangas on May 6, to swim 2.5km and 5km along the Verde Island Passage. On June 10, a new set of swimmers from the U.S., Spain, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Philippines are registered and training to complete either 4Km or 8Km at Lio Beach, at the Lio Tourism Estate in El Nido.

“I cannot tell you how excited my husband Justin and I are to be given the opportunity to swim in paradise. This has been on our bucket list for a long time now!”, says 15-time Ironman race winner, Belinda Granger, of Australia. Belinda is a well loved pro-triathlete in the Asia Pacific circuit and the Swimjunkie Challenge: El Nido will be her first 8Km open water swim.

Swimjunkie Challenge El Nido is on its second year and will be held at Lio Beach on June 10, 2018. The race is co-presented by Lio Tourism Estate, supported by the LGU and its Mayor, Nieves Rosento, and sponsored by Seafood Island and Wilkins pure water.

The Swimjunkie Challenges were created by Betsy Medalla, a former Philippine national swim team member and the first Asian to make the iconic cold water swim crossing from Robben Island to Bloubergstrand in Cape Town, South Africa.

“If we can get people active, swimming and enjoying the outdoors, and at the same time supporting the incredible marine environments we have here in the Philippines, then we’re all winning.”, says Betsy Medalla.

There is one more leg to the series, Swimjunkie Challenge Caramoan 10K on August 19, 2018. Early registration is ongoing until May 15 at http:// regonline.activeglobal.com/swimjunkiechallengecaramoan10k2018.

For more information, please contact Swimjunkie at swimjunkieph@icloud.com, Instagram: @swimjchallenge and Twitter: @swimjchallenge.