Manila, Philippines — On August 2, the PacketHACKS x HackTheClimate Semi-Finals took place during the last day of World of Consumer Electronics Expo, August 2 at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City. Hosted by the Ms. Elaine Cedillo, founder of Redwizard Events Management, the Lead Organizer of IoT Conference.
This year, over 400 brilliant minds — ranging from high school and college students to seasoned professionals and local government units — competed in the preliminary round from across the Philippines. After rigorous project reviews and careful deliberations by the judges, only 16 exceptional teams earned their spot in the much-anticipated Semi-Finals.
PacketHACKS x HackTheClimate is an IoT-driven hackathon designed to turn urgency into action. Unlike the eco-themed hackathons, Packethacks specifically targets the intersection of IoT and urban climate resilience, with a theme “Urban Resilience: Future-Proofing Cities Through IoT & Innovation,” challenging participants to design and prototype solutions that address real-world problems in categories of disaster response and recovery, sustainability, climate resiliency, and plastic waste management.
Meeting the unmet
Sixteen teams, composed of high school students, college students, and professionals, from various regions of the Philippines, rose to the challenge, each presenting innovative solutions to real-world problems. Thirteen teams took the stage in person, while three from Naga City, Quezon Province, and Cebu bridged the gap through online presentations, proving that distance is no barrier to innovation.
Most Filipinos have long taken pride in our nation’s rich agricultural heritage and fertile lands; however, not everyone on the count cares about who maintains that heritage. Gladly, these semi-finalists recognize the pressing challenges our farmers face. Among the proposed solutions were drone technologies and smart irrigation systems designed to improve farming practices, against changing soil and weather conditions, easing the burden on farmers. Consequently, there was also a proposal for e-waste recycling, ensuring no device is left behind in the e-waste revolution and preventing harmful effects on the soil.
Others shifted the focus to the Philippines’ reality as a disaster-prone country with an often faulty emergency response system. They presented LoRa-Enabled and LoRaWAN-powered disaster-resilient innovations such as rescue alert systems, water current and weather monitoring devices, AI-powered evacuation maps, and structural health monitoring tools. Some presentations carried a deeply personal touch, including one participant’s tribute to his grandmother, whose unanswered emergency call ultimately cost her life.
The range of ideas didn’t stop there. With climate change increasing the frequency of extreme heat, teams have proposed AI-powered energy optimization systems to reduce consumption and promote sustainability. Others tackled road safety, presenting a drowsiness alert system designed to help prevent accidents and protect both lives and property. On that note, some teams addressed the environmental impact of vehicles, particularly pollution, through an IoT-powered air quality monitoring system that alerts communities when pollution levels become harmful.
These are just a few among the many innovative solutions presented, each reflecting the creativity, dedication, and drive of young minds eager to know more, identify unmet needs, and create real impact driven by climate resilience.
The Finalists
PACKETHACKS X HACKTHECLIMATE SEMI-FINALISTS
As the day drew to a close, the atmosphere buzzed with hope and anticipation when the eight finalist teams were revealed: PocketDevs, eSAGIP, Dol, NextCS, Puuurgrammers, 5C, 5BITS, and Team ALAB-HERO.
These innovative IoT projects will take center stage at the IoT Conference, happening September 10–11, 2025, at the SMX Convention Center. The spotlight moment? The PacketHACKS x Hack The Climate Pitching and Demo Finals on September 10, 2025 — where groundbreaking ideas meet fierce competition.
Who will rise above the rest? And whose relentless passion to tackle the world’s unmet challenges will claim the ultimate victory?
Watch out!
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