Strengthening Volunteerism: PNVSCA Engages with USM
September 1, 2025
DOST Secretary Solidum Visits USM
September 1, 2025
Two Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS) students of the University of Southern Mindanao (USM) to wit: Anjuvh Baldwin Yguinto and Rachel Joy Pacot, alongside students of University of the Philippines (UP) Mindanao , won third place in the Byte Forward Hackathon – Mindanao Leg held on August 26-27, 2025 at Nenita’s Events Place, Tagum City, Davao del Norte.
The 24-hour hackathon, featuring ten (10) university teams across the region, challenged participants to conceptualize and develop technology-driven solutions.
According to Rachel Joy Pacot, her motivation stemmed from a goal to apply knowledge in a competitive setting, which led to extensive preparation sessions with her team.
“We felt underqualified, but with the support of our mentor, Sir Ryan Z. Gonzaga, we got motivated and really prepared. Anjuvh focused on the backend, while I worked on the frontend. We practiced every day, even at night, to ensure we were on track”,she shared.
With this achievement, the team (composed USM and UP Min) officially qualifies on joining the upcoming 51st Philippine Business Conference and Expo (PBC&E) on October 20-21, 2025 at the SMX Convention Center Manila.
Organized by Converge ICT Solutions in partnership with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Rev21 Labs, the hackathon aims to provide a platform for students to showcase their innovation, ingenuity, collaboration and creation of practical solutions to the real world challenges.
Along with the recognition, learning and experience, their team called “Stuck Underflow” received ₱20,000 cash prize for winning on the said hackathon event.
