The Batangas State University team receives their trophy from Smart senior vice president for Network Mar Tamayo (far left), Mon Liboro of DOST (2nd from left), Smart public affairs head Mon Isberto (2nd from right), and event host Miriam Quiambao. (Contributed)
University of San Jose-Recoletos places third for their travel game app SMART Communications Inc. recently announced the winners of its 12th SWEEP Innovation and Excellence Awards.
A group of engineering students from Batangas State University won the grand prize for Pinoy X-tra, an app connecting workers like plumbers, carpenters, and tutors with people who need their services.
The team received a P300,000 prize, while the school received a P150,000-grant from Smart. The school also bagged the Ericsson Networked Society Award.
This year, 10 teams made it to the finals out of the 304 groups that submitted entries from all over the country.
A team from Asia Pacific College that developed a pocket-sized electrocardiogram device was named second placer and received a P200,000 prize and a P100,000 grant for their school.
Placing third were representatives of University of San Jose Recoletos with their travel game app Quests. The students received P100,000, while their school got P50,000.
Other special citations were the Smart Innovation Award, given to De La Salle University Science and Technology Complex, and the Huawei Innovation Award given to Gordon College. The rest of the shortlisted teams and their respective schools received merit prizes.
SWEEP Awards is part of Smart’s SWEEP program, under which the company partners with colleges and universities to improve engineering and IT education in the country.