The University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) Administration lauded the victory of Team Hawani from the College of Information and Computing (CIC), which emerged as the champion of Innovation Olympics 3.0, held on September 2–3, 2025, at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. Their winning innovation promotes sustainable farming practices through technology-driven solutions.
The competition carried the theme “SmartAgri: Building a Climate-Secure Environment with Internet of Things (IoT).” The 24-hour Hackathon for Smarter Agriculture brought together some of the country’s brightest young innovators to design future-ready agri-tech solutions. Among the participating higher education institutions nationwide, USeP’s Team Hawani stood out with a breakthrough technology that significantly reduces herbicide waste and addresses major crop yield losses caused by uncontrolled weeds due to improper application.
This event was made possible through the support of the Asian Development Bank through the Korea e-Asia Fund, East-West Seeds, Inc., Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), and ADA Manufacturing Corp. (ADAMCO).
On September 5, 2025, the winning team paid a courtesy visit to the University President. During the visit, Team Hawani showcased their winning pitch before the University officials, highlighting how their innovation can contribute to more sustainable farming practices and empower Filipino farmers through smart technologies.
In his message, University President Dr. Bonifacio G. Gabales, Jr. emphasized that the Team’s success is a big milestone in AgiLab’s incubation journey, showing that USeP’s strong support for innovation and research is now paying off. He added that this win proves how USeP students can create practical solutions to real problems and inspires the whole USeP community to keep pushing for ideas that can make an impact.
“I’m really proud of Team Hawani for bringing honor to USeP. This win shows just how talented, creative, and determined our students are. Your innovation has so much potential to make a real difference in the agriculture industry and help our farmers, and the University is here to give you our full support as you grow this into a promising startup,” Pres. Gabales said.
Team Hawani, composed of Mr. Galileon Destura, Mr. Theo Benedict Pasia, and Mr. James Ga-as and mentored by AgiLab Manager Engr. Elpedio M. Corbeta, brought home ₱200,000.00 worth of prize for their winning innovation.
Also present during the visit were other key University officials who expressed their support, including Vice President for Research, Development and Extension Dr. Roger C. Montepio; Knowledge and Technology Transfer Division Director Engr. Francis Louise C. Yap; AgiLab TBI Manager Engr. Corbeta; CIC Acting Dean Dr. Christina E. Dumdumaya; and CIC faculty members Dr. Ivy Kim D. Machica, Dr. Maureen M. Villamor, and Mr. Hobert A. Abrigana. Their presence underscored the University’s collective commitment to strengthening its innovation ecosystem and creating an enabling environment for student-led startups.
Meanwhile, on behalf of the Team, Mr. Pasia expressed gratitude to the University, the CIC faculty, and their mentors for their guidance and support in preparing for the competition.
With this victory, the Team now has the chance to compete at the international level in 2026, where they aim to showcase their innovation and also the excellence of USeP on the global stage.
