CAGAYAN de Oro City — What if local problems could become the next big tech idea? 

Student innovators across Northern Mindanao are taking on that challenge through a competition that asks them to develop digital solutions for real problems faced by communities, businesses and local governments. 

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)-10 and the Regional Research, Development and Innovation Committee (RRDIC-10) recently held the second annual Reverse Pitching Competition in Camiguin and Lanao del Norte. 

Unlike traditional startup competitions, the event starts with the problem. 

Local government units, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and communities present their day-to-day challenges. Student teams then develop ICT-based solutions that could address those needs. 

Camiguin teams tackle local needs 

Nine teams competed during the Aug. 24 leg at the Camiguin Convention Center in Pandan, Mambajao. 

Team Ctrl + V-entures won the competition, followed by SAANHS Innovanguard and Uphill Innovators as first and second runners-up. 

Lanao Norte teams find solutions 

Eleven teams competed on Aug. 27 at the Provincial Agriculture Office Learning Center in Tubod. 

Team HanapANI emerged as champion, with Konektors taking first runner-up and Byte Code placing second runner-up. 

But the winning teams' work does not end with the competition. 

They will be endorsed to business incubators and accelerators for further development, scaling and possible commercialization. 

The provincial champions will also advance to the DICT Philippine Startup Challenge Regional Pitching Competition. 

Problems raised during the events will remain available through HIRAYA, Northern Mindanao’s regional research and innovation database, where other developers can find community needs and work on possible solutions. 

The competition was conducted with the provincial governments of Camiguin and Lanao del Norte, DTI, DOST, DepEd, CHED and TESDA, as well as academic and innovation partners. 

DICT-10 said the next Reverse Pitching Competition legs will be held in Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental and Misamis Occidental. 

For the student innovators, the challenge is simple: find a problem, build a solution and turn an idea into something communities can actually use.