“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” – Pelé
De La Salle Santiago Zobel School (DLSZ) students proved their innovation and creativity once again, with their teams delivering outstanding performances at the 2025 Hackathon for Girls: Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges held last March 15, 2025 at the Cybergate Tower 2, Mandaluyong City.
After a month of intense brainstorming, teamwork, and problem-solving, three (3) DLSZ teams finished strong: Team A: Harmony emerged as finalists in the Senior Division, Team B: Ventura claimed the Best AI Award, while Team C: SIGAW.ph took home the championship in the Junior Division.
Last February 8, 2025, students from DLSZ embarked on an exciting month-long journey of innovation and collaboration as part of the annual Hackathon for Girls. DLSZ has been a key participant in this empowering event for the past three years, and this year was no exception. Junior High School students from both the Alabang and Vermosa campuses formed three talented teams that competed in this year’s competition:
Team A: Harmony (Senior Division)
Not in the photo: Dylan Bravo Centeno (DLSZ 2027)
HARMONY: Bridging Voices, Empowering Justice is a free mobile app for legal counseling and assistance. It allows citizens who are unable to afford lawyers to refer to an AI companion, Harmonia. Harmonia uses Yes-Chat’s Model to provide instant legal information tailored to users’ concerns, while the app’s directory of public lawyers enables seamless appointment booking for more in-depth legal support for free to assert one’s rights, seek justice, and access reliable legal assistance anytime, anywhere.
Team B: Ventura (Junior Division)
Ventura: Empowering Entrepreneurs, Innovating Business, a game-changing mobile app that bridges the gap between startups and investors with financial transparency, real-time updates, and AI-driven insights. Entrepreneurs showcase ideas and track progress, while investors gain clear reports and risk analysis—ensuring smart, secure, and profitable investments.
Team C: SIGAW.ph (Junior Division)
Sigaw.ph is an app that aims to revolutionize how community concerns are addressed by providing a seamless, efficient, and transparent platform where complaints are properly recorded, tracked, and resolved. Through this application, barangay officials can respond to concerns immediately, significantly reducing the chances of cases being left unresolved.
In celebration of International Women’s Day, Accenture Philippines, in collaboration with Mona Obedeza, founder of The Purposeful Mochii, announced all three (3) DLSZ teams as finalists for this year’s Hackathon on March 8, 2025.
During the finals the teams presented their projects through live pitches and participated in a Q&A session with esteemed judges. Each team showcased their innovative solutions, blending creativity, technology, and a passion for making a difference.
The competition proved to be fierce, but the hard work and dedication of the DLSZ students paid off. This year’s Hackathon for Girls was a testament to the students’ hard work, ingenuity, and commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology, to serve the people and proving once again that the future of innovation is in great hands.
Congratulations to all the participants, parents and their coaches, Ms. Rica Marie Paming, Ms. Minnie Kate Mejia, Ms. Kathleen Mae Labad Labad, and to the Creative Technologies Unit.
Animo La Salle!
References:
The Purposeful Mochii Facebook Page
Hackathon for Girls 2025 Finalists
Hackathon for Girls 2025 Winners
Video Pitch:
