The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), through the ICT Industry Development Bureau (IIDB), in partnership with the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) conducted the regional finals for Philippine Startup Challenge 9 (PSC9) on October 28, 2024, via Zoom.
During the opening program, IIDB Project Focal Engr. Steffan Dale Dean G. Martensen commended the participant’s commitment despite the alteration of the competition's modality due to the inevitable circumstances caused by the recent typhoon.
Furthermore, DICT Region 3 Regional Director Antonio Edward E. Padre expressed his high hopes to the participating students as the selected winner will represent the region at the national level.
CLSU President Evaristo A. Abella also expressed his enthusiasm for the event, highlighting the vital role of academic institutions in nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship among students.
“I am happy to see students with very promising concepts and projects proving that participating universities are providing an enabling environment for the students to perform well other than their academic endeavors,” said President Abella.
Fifteen teams from various universities across the region participated in the qualifying round, four of which were from CLSU.
Among these teams, the CLSU student innovators behind the project “Talk It Out: A Peer Support Mobile Chatting Application,” cliched the Third Place in the start-up challenge. The team was composed of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT) students namely Rogelyn B. Imperial, Airah Trixie B. Gajete, Chris John R. Galvez, coached by Mr. Joshua Vendivil. Other winners include students from Bataan Heroes College and Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, for second and first place, respectively.
The ‘Talk It Out’ is designed to provide real-time peer-to-peer support, allowing users to connect with trained peers who are willing to sympathize, understand, care, and offer practical advice.
The competition served as a platform for young entrepreneurs to showcase their innovative ideas that will contribute meaningfully to the country and to the world.
