The College of Information Technology and Computer Science (CITCS) at the University of the Cordilleras played a foundational role in the success of “Pamahalahack: Reverse Hackathon on Strengthening the Local Special Bodies.” Held from October 27–30, 2025, at the Orchards Hotel in Baguio City, this first-of-its-kind event was a collaborative initiative between the DILG-CAR and UC, aimed at transforming governance gaps into sustainable, scalable innovations.
The four-day activity gathered representatives from seven Cordilleran LGUs—Atok, Sadanga, Pinukpuk, Lubuagan, Bangued, Lacub, and Calanasan—to co-create people-centered solutions grounded in data and community insight.
Faculty Mentorship and Design Thinking
Central to the hackathon’s methodology was a series of intensive design thinking workshops facilitated by Ms. Lovely Jenn A. Reformado. To ensure the LGU teams could transition from abstract concepts to viable prototypes, they were continuously guided by a dedicated team of mentors from CITCS and the Innovation and Technology Transfer Office (InTTO).
The CITCS faculty mentors provided the technical and strategic oversight necessary to ground these innovations in reality. The guiding team included: Ms. Lovely Jenn A. Reformado (Lead Facilitator), Ms. Gem A. Balay-odao, Ms. Zyra Yell A. Fagyan, and Mr. Luis William C. Meing.
These experts empowered LGU representatives to prototype solutions focused on transparency, accountability, and effective service delivery, effectively bridging academic expertise with local governance.
Student Technical Support and Documentation
The event also served as a critical experiential learning platform for second-year CITCS students, who served as the primary coders and documenters. These students provided the essential technical backbone for the participants, ensuring that the prototypes developed during the workshops were functional and well-documented.
The student team included:
- Ms. Sherline M. Balla and Ms. Verah Janae Q. Dulay
- Mr. William Marx S. Garcia and Mr. Ralvin Jay T. Magalong
- Mr. John Rey S. Juliano, Mr. Jimboy D. Marcelo, and Mr. James Leann T. Pobleta
Culmination and Global Alignment
The hard work of the CITCS-led teams culminated in a high-stakes pitching competition. Pinukpuk, Kalinga emerged as the Grand Champion, also winning “Most Innovative Output” and “Outstanding in Community Development”. Other notable winners included Sadanga, Mountain Province for “Most Feasible Output” and Atok, Benguet for “Outstanding Pitch Delivery”.
SDG Alignment
This initiative aligns with SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), reinforcing UC CITCS’s commitment to cultivating meaningful multi-sectoral partnerships.
As DILG-CAR Assistant Regional Director Mr. Ruperto B. Maribbay Jr. noted, UC remains one of the region’s most active and steadfast university collaborators in advancing citizen-driven governance.
