CvSU Imus “Code, Ano Tara?” Places 1st Runner-Up in InterCICSkwela V2.0

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Cavite State University Imus Campus team “Code, Ano Tara?” placed 1st runner-up in the InterCICSkwela V2.0 nationwide hackathon organized by the Batangas State University–Alangilan Campus CICS Student Council on Tuesday, April 28, 2026.

With the theme “Batang Techno: Building the Minds of Tomorrow’s Innovators,” the competition brought together student innovators from across the country to develop solutions to real-world challenges.

The team, composed of Jericho G. Delos Reyes, Lee Adrian D. Norona, Lance Adrian Acal, Christian B. Valenzuela, and Cristian Gabriel Ordiales, also received three special awards: the AskLex PH Academy Award for Excellence in Project Management, the Best Technical Execution Award, and the Best UI/UX Design Award.

Jericho Delos Reyes of “Code, Ano Tara?” also shared his insights about the idea behind their “PARA” app, designed to make transportation in the vicinity of Cavite easier and accessible to everyone.

“It really started with our daily frustrations as commuters here in Cavite. We realized that while navigation apps exist, none truly cater to the unique system of Philippine public transport, specifically for those of us who rely on jeeps, buses, and tricycles. Basically having multi-modal transportation options," Jericho states.

“When the event/organizers challenged us to develop solutions for urban mobility, we saw it as a direct opportunity to align with SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. Our goal was to bridge the technical gap by building "The Standard," a tool that eliminates the uncertainty of routes and fares, making local navigation more predictable, efficient, and accessible for everyone," he then added.

Jericho stated that the framework of the “PARA” app was centered around React Native for cross-platform mobile performance and Mapbox for spatial routing and 3D mapping, integrating AI and Supabase for real-time database and backend needs.

“Technically, PARA is built on a modern stack centered around React Native for cross-platform mobile performance, with Mapbox handling our spatial routing and 3D mapping. We also integrated the Gemini API to power "Jeepie," our AI assistant, and used Supabase for our real-time database and backend needs. Also, we have developed a dedicated Admin Dashboard to ensure the system is sustainable and can even be an income generating app.”

“Beyond the code, our biggest inspiration was to elevate the name and integrity of our university. We truly wanted to prove that CvSUeños are really competitive and capable of standing toe-to-toe with the biggest universities in the country such as DLSU and MAPUA. Seeing our school being recognized on such a large stage was a huge motivator for us to build this solution,” Jericho added.

Jericho also admitted that their participation was quite spontaneous and that they did not expect they would be able to finish with a 1st runner-up spot.

“It was a massive validation of our team’s technical workflow and our ability to execute an idea under pressure. The experience really tested our synergy as a team. We had to trust each other's instincts and make quick, decisive choices," Jericho noted.

Amid circulating allegations of plagiarism and branding similarities, the CvSU Imus team issued a statement addressing the issue.

“To reiterate, if we ever decide to deploy or make the application public, we are open to doing a complete rebranding of the app name and logo, as we also don’t want our brand to be similar to someone else’s. We also want our branding to be unique and have no resemblance to other apps,” Acal said on their Facebook post.

The group said they would no longer entertain further discussion on the matter and directed the public to their previously released clarification.

However, Jericho then clarified the team’s stance against the plagiarism/branding issue, addressing that they have nothing but respect for other developers and are firm about their integrity.

“Every line of our code, the spatial routing logic, and the AI integrations were built by us from the ground up. Winning Best Technical Execution among 40+ universities is a huge validation for us. The judges really looked under the hood of our project, and you simply can’t fake that level of technical complexity or earn an award like that by just copy-pasting," he said.

“About the color scheme and name, "Para" is a universal Filipino term, and features like fare estimation are standard for any transit app, much like how every banking app has a "transfer" button. It was purely coincidental, we were leaning into symbols and language that every Filipino commuter identifies with. If we push through with a pilot, a complete rebranding is our first priority to ensure our identity is as unique as the technology we’ve built," he concluded.

Furthermore, Centro Escolar University (CEU)’s team “O(4)” emerged as champion and also earned three special awards: Best Tech for Sustainability, Best Problem Solver Award, and Best Impactful Innovation Award.

Meanwhile, Bulacan State University “BulSU Hackers” placed 2nd runner-up and the “aVoidables” for Western Visayas State University–Main Campus (WVSU–Main) won the best Pitch Award, while “The Superheroes” of De La Salle Lipa (DLSL) received the People’s Choice Award.

The event highlighted the skills and creativity of young innovators, emphasizing their role in developing technology-driven solutions to real-world problems. [F]

via Joev Ej Reyes, Staff Writer