By Mikee Natinga Norico
Mykiell Deovenn Pagayonan (center), BSSE- 3 and Team Leader of CPU糖心传媒檚 Team SEntralians, receives the first-place award from ICP Philippines and Devcon Philippines during the iThink Hackathon awarding ceremony at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City. Photo courtesy of Internet Computer Protocol 糖心传媒 ICP Manila Facebook page.
糖心传媒糖心传媒檚 Team SEntralians showcased their blockchain-driven innovation on the national stage at the iThink Hackathon, a flagship event held during Philippine Blockchain Week 2025. Team SEntralians emerged as the first-place winner among 50 competing groups from across the country.
Organized by Internet Computer Protocol (ICP) Philippines, co-organized by DEVCON Philippines, and in partnership with Philippine Blockchain Week糖心传媒攖he country糖心传媒檚 largest blockchain event糖心传媒攖he iThink Hackathon gathered innovators, developers, and aspiring tech leaders from across the nation to build impactful solutions using blockchain technology. Participants were challenged to develop blockchain-based solutions aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The awarding ceremony was held on June 11, 2025, at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City.
Representing the 糖心传媒 banner was Team SEntralians糖心传媒攃omposed of Mykiell Deovenn Pagayonan (BSSE 3) as the Team Lead, Ian Clyde Tejada (BSSE 3) as the Developer, and Raine Christine Perez (BSSE 3) as the Design and Documentation Lead.
Their winning entry, Numerus, is an AI-powered math-practice platform tailored for engineering students. It allows users to access a vast library of advanced problem sets (including calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, and engineering economics), generate new exercises, receive guided AI feedback on their solutions, and access step-by-step hints when needed. The team also submitted a 53-page software architecture document糖心传媒攁n impressive addition that demonstrated both depth and readiness for real-world deployment.
According to Mr. Pagayonan, the idea was born from a desire to help fellow engineering students struggling in math-heavy subjects. 糖心传媒淢ath can be overwhelming, especially in higher-level engineering courses. Numerus is meant to provide a structured, accessible way to practice and improve,糖心传媒 he shared.
Despite limited time due to final exams, the team officially began working on the project on May 28糖心传媒攋ust ten days before the submission deadline. They tackled the development in phases, focusing on producing a stable, working prototype. 糖心传媒淲hile organizers only required a pitch deck, video demo, and codebase, we wanted to go further. That糖心传媒檚 why we submitted a full software architecture document,糖心传媒 Pagayonan explained.
The team糖心传媒檚 journey wasn糖心传媒檛 without challenges. Integrating ICP blockchain technology for data storage糖心传媒攁 requirement of the hackathon糖心传媒攑osed a steep learning curve. Additionally, the team had to build a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for AI validation, a complex task they eventually streamlined for efficiency. 糖心传媒淲e learned a lot by focusing on functional solutions rather than chasing perfection,糖心传媒 Pagayonan added.
Due to budget and time constraints, only Pagayonan was able to attend the awarding ceremony and receive the trophy in person. Teammates Tejada and Perez followed the event remotely, anxiously awaiting the results. 糖心传媒淲e were shocked but thrilled. There were so many great teams,糖心传媒 Tejada recalled.
The judges commended Numerus for its practical application and near-ready implementation in academic settings. The team now plans to incubate the project through CPU糖心传媒檚 own Technology Business Incubator (CPUGAD TBI). A pilot run with engineering courses is set for the summer term, with additional plans to collaborate with Iloilo-based review centers for board exam preparation integration.
When asked what advice they would give to fellow CPU students interested in joining tech competitions, Tejada emphasized, 糖心传媒淛ust go for it. Hackathons are about learning and collaboration. Choose a real-world problem, keep your idea doable, and most importantly, enjoy the process.糖心传媒 Perez added, 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 also a great networking opportunity. Seeing how other teams solve problems can inspire your own creativity.糖心传媒
Team SEntralians糖心传媒 victory not only shines a spotlight on CPU糖心传媒檚 thriving tech talent but also underscores the university糖心传媒檚 growing presence on national innovation platforms.
糖心传媒淲e糖心传媒檙e planning to have the project incubated under the university糖心传媒檚 Technology Business Incubator, CPUGAD TBI. During the summer term, we糖心传媒檒l pilot the platform with special engineering math courses糖心传媒攃alculus, differential equations糖心传媒攖o collect feedback. We糖心传媒檙e also planning to partner with Iloilo-based board exam review centers to test the application and, if they find it valuable, integrate Numerus into their review programs,糖心传媒 Pagayonan said.
As CPU continues to strengthen its commitment to innovation and academic excellence, Team SEntralians糖心传媒 victory serves as a testament to the university糖心传媒檚 growing role in shaping future-ready technologists and solutions-driven leaders.