ComSci students among top 10 teams at Byte Forward Hackathon

October 1, 2025

The Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation team earned a top 10 finish out of 50 entries at the Byte Forward Hackathon South Luzon leg, held at Flynn Hotel in Bacoor, Cavite, Sept. 29–30.

The team was composed of John Leo Echevaria, Princess Nicole Oriola, Johann Sebastian Catalla, and Prince Raily Laurel, computer science students from the College of Computing and Multimedia Studies.

The team built Eventure to help service vendors have a platform that connect clients to suppliers, streamlines bookings, and showcases MSME services on a single digital marketplace.

They used AI services from Rev21 Labs to power search, matching, and recommendations.

The hackathon gathered innovators across the region to design and pitch working digital solutions under time pressure, where the theme centered on MSME digital adoption with the challenge Affordable Technology Integration for MSMEs.

“Our students rose to the moment and proved they belong among the country’s best,” Dean Rodrigo Belleza Jr. said.

“Their top-10 finish from a 200-plus field shows grit, focus, and the Envergan drive to solve real problems.” Dean Belleza added.

The 24-hour event was presented by Converge in partnership with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Rev21 Labs Inc., and the Department of Trade and Industry.

This success supports MSEUF’s mission to provide outcomes-oriented, student-centered learning that prepares students for real-world challenges. It also reflects the values of Excellence, Unity, and Fortitude, as the team worked together under pressure and delivered results that put the university on the national stage.

Related SDGs

SDG 4: Quality Education – Enhances industry-ready skills through applied, experiential learning in a hackathon.
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure – Promotes creative digital solutions that strengthen innovation ecosystems.
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – Builds collaboration with industry and government partners to expand opportunities for students.