A team of students from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Manila has won the top prize at a hackathon organized by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) for their proposal on a digital platform aimed at Filipino farmers.
The team, PUP PentAgila and composed of Caitlin Faith Hashimoto, Marjorie Cabato, and Bart Patrick Familiar, presented their “AniKansya” platform at the 2025 Youth Financial Inclusion (YFI) Hackathon on April 2. The platform is designed to provide farmers with access to various financial products and services.
The YFI Hackathon is a competition where student groups from different universities present tech-based solutions to promote financial inclusion and health in the Philippines through digitalization.
BSP Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat encouraged the participants to take a significant role in financial inclusion, urging them to “be the ones who bridge gaps” and help communities with budgeting, saving, investing, and growth. She added that the youth can be “powerful allies in building a more accessible and inclusive financial system.”
National Youth Commission (NYC) Chairperson Joseph Francisco “Jeff” Ortega voiced his support for the program, expressing a desire to see more student-led solutions to national issues.
Winning second place is “PURSE” by De La Salle University’s Cyber Archers team (Daphne Loo, John Ray Cardeno, Shaina Julao, and Shekinah Marquez), a platform offering accessible financial services, receipt organization software, and digital cards for persons with disabilities.
“SMS Fraud Checker” by team Patch from Ateneo de Manila University and the University of the Philippines (Azzedine Abrencillo, Gabrielle Dotado, Jan Llenzl Dagohoy, and Angelica Marie Casuela), an AI-powered feature to detect and warn users of potential scam texts in real-time won third place.
“MigoPay” by Junquera Tech Solutions from the University of San Carlos (Juliana Marie Mabugat, Kameron Zoe Cameron, Rose Ann Gesta, Katrina Bianca Tacandong, and Janica Marie Ycong), a solar-powered, offline-capable fintech solution using contactless tap-to-pay for fisherfolk in Cebu ranked fourth.
Garnering fifth place is “TeknOffline” by JVFC Malaya from PUP Manila (Jayson Santiago, Jose Manuel Lapesora, Csean Chloe Olleta, Frederick Gabriel Ramos, and Veniz Velasquez), a near-field communication enabled e-wallet for digital transactions in areas with limited or no internet access.
The Hackathon was co-chaired by BSP Monetary Board Members Romeo Bernardo, Rosalia De Leon, and Jose Querubin, along with NYC Chairperson Ortega. The judging panel comprised officials from various government agencies, including the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Information and Communications Technology, National Economic and Development Authority and the Presidential Communications Office.