SU places third in HackForGov 5 NIR Regional Competition
Silliman University (SU), through its College of Computer Studies (CCS), secured third place in the HackForGov 5 Negros Island Region (NIR) Regional Competition held on October 12, 2026, at Roy’s Hotel and Convention Center in Bacolod City.
Representing SU, the CCS team Phish & Chips earned second runner-up honors in the regional cybersecurity competition. The team was composed of Krishnan V. Mahinay, Andre Miles S. Calledo, and Miguel Luis Jumawan, all third-year Bachelor of Science in Computer Science students, and Ari Benedikt H. Ebrole, a third-year Bachelor of Science in Information Technology student. They were coached by Assistant Professor Joy M. Dy, CCS dean.
Mahinay also received the Top Scorer Award for his performance in the competition.
The team competed against 11 other qualified teams from Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental.
Krishnan V. Mahinay (BSCS-III) is SU’s Top Scorer awardee.
The University of St. La Salle Bacolod emerged as champion, followed by STI West Negros University as first runner-up.
SU was among the three participating institutions from Negros Oriental, alongside Negros Oriental State University and Foundation University.
Organized by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), HackForGov is a flagship cybersecurity competition that provides students with a practical platform to develop and demonstrate their technical skills through real-world, scenario-based challenges.
The competition follows a Capture-the-Flag (CTF) format where participants solve cybersecurity challenges within seven hours.
These cover areas such as open-source intelligence, web application security, network forensics and security, cryptography, steganography, and other cybersecurity disciplines.
SU CCS receives their trophies.
Participants identify hidden flags in each challenge and submit them through a designated platform to earn points.
HackForGov also serves as a pathway for outstanding participants to be considered for international cybersecurity competitions and capacity-building initiatives, including the ASEAN Cyber Shield Hacking Contest and the ASEAN–Japan Cybersecurity Capacity Building Centre Cyber SEA Game.
The regional competition was intended to select one champion to represent the Negros Island Region at the HackForGov 2026 National Finals.
