Mapúa University launched its first-ever Cardinal Tech Fest at the Makati campus last April 27, 2024. And Grade 10 and Grade 12 students from different schools in Luzon had the opportunity to show off their skills in innovation, game development, and gaming.
This one-day event, powered with the support of several student and media organizations, is intended to recognize and hone the potential of incoming senior high school and incoming college students through various competitions, namely the Bridge Design Challenge, Game Development Competition, and Mobile Legends Tournament with cash prizes ranging from ₱5,000 to ₱25,000.
To make the event an educational and insightful experience, a series of career talks was also held through Career Day, wherein industry experts were invited to discuss modern and in-demand programs such as Energy Engineering and Financial Technology to incoming college freshmen to guide them on which career path to pursue.
The students were swift to register and comply with the requirements to secure their slots in the competitions, and some of the teams from the same school went all out and joined all the competitions.
After an intense race in the Bridge Design Challenge, the team The Sison’d Ones from MFI Polytechnic Institute Pasig ultimately emerged as the champion, while Team Nolasco First from Dr. Juan G. Nolasco High School followed as the first runner-up. Team Ingenium from Adamson University took the place of second runner-up.
The Game Development Competition was a close-fought battle as well in presenting the most creative and superb quality game that follows the theme “100”, a nod to the University’s upcoming Centennial Year. Out of 30 entries, only the 10 teams who passed the qualifying round were able to present their games to a panel of judges from the University’s School of Information Technology.
Despite being game development newbies, the team Gladiators from Golden Faith Academy Rizal stood out along with their game “Leap of Faith”, while closely following was the team The Atomic Sisons with their game “Shattered Series: Element 100”, another win for MFI Polytechnic Institute Pasig. The team Bedan Research Organization from San Beda University Rizal ensured to go home big as well, taking the place of second runner-up with their game “Chemistrix”.
The thrill was the same for the Mobile Legends Tournament, made possible by the University’s event partner CBZN. Out of the 56 teams who undertook the qualifying game, only the top 8 finalists had the chance to take home the awards and prizes that awaited them. Team Jabo grabbed the championship title, followed by Team Can’t Say Wisp as the first runner-up, with members hailing from various schools and universities in Manila. Team Ka-Perps also made their school Perpetual Help College of Manila proud with their second runner-up award.
“Witnessing the exceptional talent and evident determination of these students is exactly why Mapúa University conducts events like this, so we can discover and hopefully hone them further under our care and guidance. At such young ages, they already possess the traits of an excellent Mapúan, and surely in time, they will be the builders of a future that will benefit societies, industries, and even countries.”, Vice President of Marketing and Admissions, Ms. Alodia C. Hernaez, stated.
While the launch of the Cardinal Tech Fest was a success, Mapúa University is optimistic that the second run next year will top its debut, in alignment with the grandness of its much anticipated 100th year.
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