Naga College Foundation, Inc. (NCF) waves the banner of triumph as its very own team of student-innovators—NCF-ApexNode—stands as one of the Philippines’ official flag bearers, securing a coveted spot in the elite Top 4 shortlist for the Climate Change Resilience track of the ASEAN AI Hackathon 2026, as confirmed by Passage to ASEAN (P2A) International in a social media announcement on Wednesday, July 1.
Dominating the formidable technological showdown on the regional stage, the brilliant Computer Science delegation composed of John Paul A. Cambiado, Daniel Q. Bonito, Francine M. De La Torre, and Karl Vincent C. Suayan, banner the institution with their groundbreaking project, ‘SentryMesh.’
‘SentryMesh,’ an alternative communication system for various weather phenomena designed to address the limitations of conventional communication networks during severe weather events, provides a resilient, decentralized, and adaptive communication platform that enables real-time information exchange even when traditional infrastructure becomes unreliable or unavailable.
This year’s finalists represent the highest tier of technological innovation across four specialized competition tracks: AI in Education, Climate Change Resilience, Public Health, and Smart Cities. With exactly four outstanding teams selected per track, the impressive lineup is now set to clash for the ultimate regional championship title.
P2A International initially intended to select the Top 8 finalists, but due to the immense enthusiasm and undeniable innovation of over a hundred institutions, the organizers selected only four of the most noteworthy contenders per challenge pool.
By locking in their slot among the elite Top 16 regional teams advancing to the grand finale this July in Da Nang, Vietnam, NCF-ApexNode has showcased the global caliber of NCean technological wit. Their feat proves the power of channeling generative tools for social good, backed by the deep theoretical competencies necessary to engineer real-world, sustainable solutions for regional resilience.
As the competition accelerates into its most high-stakes phase, the Home of the Champions rallies its absolute support behind the student-innovators, celebrating the creativity, unyielding dedication, and exceptional talent they have demonstrated on the internationals stage.