SU CCS clinches 1st runner-up in AI pitching competition

Silliman University (SU) College of Computer Studies (CCS), through Team Agriflow, wins First Runner-up during the 4th Ai.Deas for Impact: AI for Innovation and Social Impact Regional AI Pitching Competition.

The Silliman University (SU) College of Computer Studies (CCS) clinched First Runner-Up at the 4th Ai.Deas for Impact: AI for Innovation and Social Impact Regional AI Pitching Competition held on June 25-26, 2024, at Southview Hotel, Dumaguete City.

(Left to right) Mr. Sherwin Pelayo (Executive Director, AAP), Ms. Vienne Velasco (Program Lead, SET-PH Program), Engr. Aurelio Tinapay (DICT Negros Oriental), Asst. Prof. Jonathan Mark Te (Team Agriflow mentor), Frederick DC. Amores (Director, DICT Regional Office VII), John Stanley T. Altonaga (BSCS-II), Jon Patric A. Garganian (BSIT-II), Marc Warren C. Partosa (BSIT-II), Larly Rose T. Catian (BSCS-II), Lanz Alexander I. Malto (BSCS-II), and AI Pitching Competition judges pose for a quick photo.

The event, a focal point of the two-day Workshop by the same name, highlighted SU’s commitment to advancing AI solutions for the community.

Led by Asst. Prof. Joy M. Dy, CCS dean, and Asst. Prof. Jonathan Mark N. Te, CCS faculty member, who both served as Team Agriflow’s mentors, SU’s team consisted of sophomore students from both the Computer Studies and Information Technology programs, including John Stanley T. Altonaga, Larly Rose T. Catian, Lanz Alexander I. Malto, Jon Patric A. Garganian, and Marc Warren C. Partosa.

Aiming toward revolutionizing agricultural practices through AI-enabled technologies, their project centered on enhancing irrigation systems with features such as real-time weather integration, predictive analysis, and sensor-based monitoring. This initiative aims to optimize water management, reduce costs, and ultimately boost crop yields across local farms.

Asst. Prof. Joy M. Dy’s ideation with Team Agriflow.

The competition drew participation from seven (7) leading educational institutions in Central Visayas, including Holy Name University, which emerged the champion, and the University of San Carlos, which landed 2nd Runner-up. Other institutions included Foundation University, St. Paul’s University Dumaguete, Metro Dumaguete College Inc., and University of San Jose-Recoletos.

Hosted by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Region 7, with support from the ICT Industry Development Bureau (IIDB) Region 7 and in collaboration with the Analytics & Artificial Intelligence Association of the Philippines (AAP), the event fostered a dynamic environment for AI innovation.

On June 25, participants engaged in workshops focused on AI design thinking. They learned to create empathy maps, develop problem statements, ideate solutions, and prototype their ideas. This groundwork prepared them for the pitching competition the next day (June 26).

(Left to right) Lanz Alexander I. Malto, BSCS-II, John Stanley T. Altonaga, BSCS-II and Jon Patric A. Garganian (back of Altonaga) pitch the AgriFlow smart weather informatics app for farmers.

The Ai.Deas for Impact workshop series is a flagship initiative under DICT-IIDB’s SET PH program. According to them, the long-term goal of the Ai.Deas for Impact workshop is “to empower young talents, incubate innovative AI-enabled solutions, and connect them with investors for business matching to benefit their local communities and regions.”

The next and last leg of the Ai.Deas for Impact: AI for Innovation and Social Impact Workshop series will be held in Legazpi City on July 30-31, 2024.

(All photos were taken from the official Facebook page of the IIDB Region 7.)