A total of 46 teams have advanced to the next stage of the inaugural eGov Hackathon hosted on July 21 and 22 by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
The hackathon, formally opened by the first lady, Louise ‘Liza’ Araneta-Marcos, underscored ‘the administration’s support for technology-driven governance and citizen-centered public service innovation,’ according to a recent DICT statement.
Participants in the competition, held at the SMX Convention Center Aura in Taguig City, included students, software developers, startups, and technology professionals from across the country – all working to develop practical digital solutions using the government’s eGov application programming interfaces (APIs). More than 1,500 individuals registered for the competition, resulting in 137 official five-member teams, according to DICT Undersecretary for E-Government David Almirol Jr.
Of these, 106 teams submitted entries, while 31 teams did not complete their submissions.
‘The overwhelming response demonstrates the willingness of the Filipino technology community to contribute meaningful solutions that can improve the delivery of government services,’ Almirol said.
Fully developed systems
Among the submitted entries, 46 teams presented fully developed systems integrated with the government’s eGov APIs, 34 teams showcased existing systems without integration, while 26 teams pitched conceptual solutions through presentations.
The 46 teams with integrated solutions will now undergo one-on-one technical evaluations before the DICT identifies the top 30 finalists, each of whom will receive ?100,000 to refine their solutions.
From this group, the DICT will select five winning teams and allow them to enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with its E-Government Office, under which they can further develop the implementation of their innovations.
‘The primary purpose of the eGov Hackathon is not just a contest – it is a serious search for impactful solutions that can make government services more efficient and accessible,’ Almirol said.
‘Our intention is to engage the IT community as active partners in nation-building. By working together, we can build digital solutions that make government services simpler, faster, and more accessible for every Filipino,’ he added.
The eGov Hackathon forms part of the DICT’s broader digital transformation strategy, which seeks to expand digital government services, strengthen interoperability across agencies, and encourage greater participation from the country’s innovation community.
According to the DICT, preparations are already underway for a larger national eGov Hackathon that will further expand opportunities for Filipino developers to contribute to the future of digital governance. /atm