Cebu, Philippines - In a groundbreaking event, the first-ever hackathon in the Philippines was successfully held at Wildcats Innovation Labs, Cebu Institute of Technology - University (CIT-U). The event was inaugurated by Mr. John Gregory B. Escario, Vice President for Administration of CIT-U.

The hackathon saw an impressive opening with the Vice Mayor of Cebu City, Honorable Atty Raymond Garcia, delivering a warm welcome speech, setting an enthusiastic tone for the event.

Highlighting the event was a keynote speech from Nardo Manaloto, Managing Partner of Qubits Ventures, who delved into the “Quantum Ecosystem and Investment Opportunities.” This insightful presentation was complemented by Jeffrey Aborot from the Department of Science and Technology-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI), one of the hackathon’s partners, who introduced ASTI and the Quantum Computing Simulator.

Further adding to the wealth of knowledge was Brian Siegelwax, an Independent Quantum Algorithms Designer and member of OneQuantum, who captivated the audience with his presentation titled “The State of Quantum Computing.”

This pioneering hackathon was attended by students from several prestigious universities, including the University of the Philippines-Cebu, University of San Jose-Recolletos, and University of San Carlos, with two teams each from CIT-U and University of San Jose-Recolletos. Each team, composed of three students and a coach, faced the challenge of solving as many problems as possible in the QISKit Blocks game within two hours.

The competition was fierce, but the teams from Cebu Institute of Technology - University clinched the first and third places with cash prizes of 10,000 Php and 5,000 Php, respectively. The second place, along with a prize of 7,000 Php, was awarded to the team from the University of San Jose-Recolletos.

Participants expressed great enjoyment in tackling the hackathon challenge, which was based on a Minecraft clone named Minetest, adding a fun and engaging twist to the event.

The hackathon was brought to a close by Mr. Bobby Corpus, President of OneQuantum Philippines, and Cherry Sta Romana, Ph.D., Dean of Computer Studies at CIT-U. Their closing remarks underscored the event’s success in fostering innovation and collaboration among the brightest minds in the Philippines’ academic community.

This landmark event not only showcased the talents of Filipino students in the realm of quantum computing but also marked a significant milestone in the country’s journey towards technological advancement and innovation.