Converge ICT Solutions Inc., a leading fiber broadband and technology provider in the Philippines, further cemented its role in digital innovation and talent development through active participation in Google Developer Student Clubs Loyola’s Hackfest 2025: Horizon, an 11-day student-led hackathon designed to foster innovation among young developers.
The event, which brought together over a hundred student participants from major universities including Ateneo de Manila, UP, DLSU, Adamson, and Colegio de San Juan de Letran, provided a platform for aspiring developers to craft tech-driven solutions addressing real-world challenges, particularly those aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Converge executives Eugene Yeo (chief executive advisor) and Paulo Martin ‘Santi’ Santos (chief network transformation officer) delivered keynote addresses, emphasizing the vital role of youth in the country’s ongoing digital transformation. “There’s a huge opportunity in the Philippines to transform the way Filipinos live their digital lives,” said Yeo, underscoring the need to build solutions on the strong digital infrastructure Converge has already laid down.
Santos echoed this sentiment, stating, “We have the talent. We just need to harness it. You, the youth, are the future—and this is a dream that Converge wants to keep pushing and investing in.”
Beyond sponsorship and inspiration, Converge played a technical mentoring role. Members of its Network Operations Group, including R&D Assistant Manager Charlene Patawaran and Technology Solutions head Steven Maverick Paradeza, provided guidance and developed the competition’s central problem statement.
The hackathon’s top winners were:
- 1st Place: Team Infinity Stones (Polytechnic University of the Philippines) – ScrappyHappy, a waste management solution
- 2nd Place: Team Hacklanons (Ateneo de Manila University) – Smiles, a community health platform
- 3rd Place: Team Divathon (Ateneo de Manila University) – Kalinga, a civic engagement app
Converge’s strategic involvement in Hackfest 2025 not only reinforces its commitment to sustainability and social impact through technology but also highlights its long-term vision: cultivating a local innovation ecosystem that can fully leverage its advanced digital infrastructure.
