AdNU Team “Outsaiders” Advances to Finals of 1st Naga City Mayoral Hackathon

A team of Computer Science students from Ateneo de Naga University (AdNU) has earned a spot among the top finalists of the 1st Naga City Mayoral Hackathon, a major civic innovation challenge aimed at strengthening digital public services through the MyNaga App.

The team, Outsaiders, competed under the Social Services track and is composed of Arwen Fajardo (Team Lead), Jasper V. Gomez, John Benedict P. Baladia, and Kirsten Gail A. Querubin. They were chosen as one of the Top 5 teams in the Social Services track, selected from nearly 200 project submissions nationwide.

The 1st Naga City Mayoral Hackathon features three challenge tracks—Health, Social Services, and Environment—with five finalist teams per track. It will be held on February 20–22, 2026, in Naga City.

Each winning team will receive a ₱50,000 cash prize and the opportunity to become a fully funded pioneer innovator for the next feature of the MyNaga App.

According to team leader Arwen Fajardo, the idea behind their project was rooted in their experiences within a student organization. “We noticed that many students were quiet, disengaged, and struggled to actively participate in organizational activities. Not all students felt involved or heard,” Fajardo shared. “We realized that if this lack of participation already existed in a small community like ours, the problem would likely be even bigger at the city level, especially in a city like Naga that aims to promote participatory governance and civic engagement.”

Despite being first-time hackathon participants, the team pushed forward with determination. “...we honestly did not expect to make it to the finals,” she admitted. “It was shocking at first. However, once the surprise settled in, we conditioned ourselves to push forward. We reminded each other that since we had already come this far, we owed it to ourselves to see it through until the end and give our best."

Outsaiders’ success highlights AdNU students’ growing presence in technology-driven civic initiatives, reflecting both technical skill and social awareness.

Also representing AdNU in the semifinal stage of the hackathon were Scripters, led by Carl Robert Brandes, and Thermobin, led by Mary Lorainne Lorin, highlighting the university’s strong participation in the competition.

The event is organized by the ANINAG Council’s Naga City Collaboration Lab (CoLab) in partnership with Angat Buhay, RedWizard Events Technology, Packetworx, OpenVerse PH, BetterGov PH, the Asian Institute of Management, and the Center for Global Best Practices, and is sponsored by Kloud Solutions INC, Eastern Communications, and OneChain.

As the finals approach, all eyes are on these young innovators as they continue to develop solutions that could shape the future of digital governance in Naga City.