Two teams from the Philippines triumphed recently at the 8th Huawei ICT Competition Asia-Pacific 2023-2024 organized by Huawei and co-hosted by Asean Foundation at the Asean headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Two Filipino student teams topped two of the four categories featured in the technology contest for students and will now represent the Philippines at the Global Finals of the Huawei ICT Competition in Shenzhen, China in May 2024.
Cebu Institute of Technology – University (CIT-U), represented by Thomas Danjo Manulat, Adrian Sajulga, Tristan James Tolentino, and Instructor Dr. Eugene Busico captured the Grand Prize in the Innovation Track, marking a historic milestone as it was the first time the Philippines advanced to the regional round.
Their entry, WEI Care, taps on the potential of technology to integrate heart attack monitoring system utilizing Huawei smart watch technology and Huawei AI.
Meanwhile, iACADEMY’s Ryan Caezar Itang, Nicholas Barilea, Justine Benedict Umali, and instructor Jayson Viernes, represented by Dean Francisco Napalit, emerged as the regional champion in the newly added Computing Track.
With the theme “Connection, Glory, Future,” the competition drew more than 15,000 college students from the Asia-Pacific, exhibiting their skills and talents in the field of information and communications technology, and developing innovative solutions that place value to what the world needs.
“With the rapid pace of technological advancement and the growing demand for digital expertise, it is essential that we empower our youth with the digital skills they need to succeed in the digital economy,” said Ambassador M.I. Derry Aman, permanent representative of Indonesia to Asean.
The Huawei ICT Competition serves as platform for students to engage in healthy competition and idea exchange, bolstering their ICT knowledge and practical skills. The initiative not only boosts their innovative capacities but also plays a crucial role in narrowing the digital talent divide.
Huawei said it is committed to further expanding its educational impact, with a goal to establish 500 ICT academies that aim to nurture over 200,000 students by 2025.