This is the third part of my ongoing series documenting my journey through Tagisan ng Talino: Codefest, a nationwide mobile development hackathon hosted annually by STI College campuses across the Philippines. After claiming the championship title in our local-level competition, our team earned the privilege of representing STI College Ortigas-Cainta at the cluster-level on April 4, 2025.
At the time, it was the middle of the semester, and I was juggling multiple responsibilities, Codefest training sessions, AppCon Hackathon, academic workloads, and our IT Capstone Project. It was a relentless season, but also one of the most exhilarating.
To help us prepare for the cluster and national rounds, a coach was assigned to our team. She was fantastic, providing us not just with technical guidance but also small, morale-boosting perks like free food stubs for the canteen and exclusive access to one of the campus computer laboratories for our training sessions.
Training within the campus made a huge difference. The atmosphere alone was more motivating than remote practices. We followed a similar format to our local-level prep: generating problem statements aligned with typical Codefest themes, then developing Android apps to solve them within strict time limits.
This time, though, we raised the bar, focusing on apps that required more advanced, unique features beyond the usual CRUD operations. Our goal was to broaden our skillset and prepare for any curveball the cluster-level might throw our way.
For data persistence, I stuck with my preferred setup: Shared Preferences with JSON serialization using GSON in Android Studio, implemented through a Generic Repository Design Pattern. Every data model extended from an abstract Model class, which I later rebranded as Entity after reading Clean Architecture by Robert C. Martin, a book I highly recommend for anyone serious about software design principles.
I genuinely enjoyed these training sessions. They weren't just about competition; they became a personal development ritual. Supported by our college through snacks and a dedicated lab, we honed not just our technical skills but also our teamwork and decision-making under pressure. Our short-term mission was clear: win the cluster-level. But the long-term goal was loftier, to become better software developers.
As the competition drew near, the pressure mounted. Everyone around me expected our team to win, and as captain, I carried the weight of those expectations. The stress felt overwhelming at times, like it might swallow me whole. But instead of breaking, I turned that pressure into fuel, coding for hours alone, building app after app, until mental exhaustion became familiar territory.
April 4, 2025. The day of reckoning.
The day of the competition finally arrived. I saw our opponents, the champions of the local-level Codefest from other STI Colleges. I knew they were all good; some of them had even made it to the cluster-level multiple times in a row already, with a few being two-time local champions. Meanwhile, it was our first time stepping onto that stage. At the time, it definitely felt like we were the underdogs. But I wasn't the type to crumble or give up in the face of overwhelming odds or intimidation.
I came prepared with coffee for cognitive stamina, color-coded ballpens for documenting ideas (since no digital prototyping tools like Figma were allowed), and a yellow pad for sketching low-fidelity wireframes.
The 6-hour hackathon began.
The problem statement: develop a mobile app that connects people eager to learn with volunteer mentors, promoting community-driven education and networking.
I immediately sprang into action, setting up our template classes, libraries, and project architecture. The lab transformed into a silent battleground, with each team buried in their screens, focused and unyielding.
It was a masterclass in brainstorming, collaboration, and programming prowess. As the timer dwindled, I hit a state of flow. Remarkably, we completed the core app in 5 hours. Instead of rushing to submit it early (though one team did, probably banking on the tie-breaker advantage), we used the extra time to polish and optimize our app. I believed quality would win out over haste.
Presentation phase.
Unlike in the local-level, we were the last to present this time. The upside? More time to rehearse and refine our pitch. When our turn arrived, I stepped up and delivered the demonstration.
To my delight, the judges' faces lit up. One even remarked that most submissions were incomplete, ours stood out not only for its completeness but for the extra features, polished UI, thorough input validation, and thoughtful enhancements.
I stepped out of the laboratory, jumping and grinning with excitement after hearing what the judges said. As I made my way down the hallway, I noticed one of the contestants staring at me, looking surprised, their gaze filled with a mix of curiosity and disbelief. In that moment, I thought to myself, "Yep, I probably should've saved that reaction for when no one was watching."
Awarding ceremony.
Held at the campus gymnasium, representatives from various STI colleges gathered, anxiously awaiting results. As the projector displayed the 2nd Runner-Up, then the 1st Runner-Up, my heart pounded. And then, it happened.
My team and I were announced as the Champion of the Cluster-Level Codefest.
The instant our team name appeared on the projector, I screamed "YESSSSSSSSSSSS!" so loud that my AirPods flew out of my black jacket. I stared at the word Champion projected on the stage, and I couldn't help but think, "I made it — and I'm hopping on an airplane to General Santos." It felt surreal. We walked up to the stage, all of us grinning from ear to ear.
I never imagined that one day, my programming skills would land me a plane ticket to a faraway place, and that all it took was a single spark of curiosity that set off a chain of dominos leading to that very moment. I took my champion certificate, placed the medal around my neck, and it hit me just how far we'd come.
Afterward, we went straight to Jollibee to celebrate and talk about what came next. We recounted the critical moments during the competition, laughed about the close calls, and got excited about finally riding an airplane to General Santos. For some of us, it would be our first time flying, and knowing that our college would be covering the travel and accommodations made it feel even more incredible. That night, the victory felt sweeter than I imagined it would.
As I sat there, with a burger in one hand and my medal around my neck, I thought to myself again, "I made it. All those sleepless nights and hard work, every bit of it was worth it." I was completely overjoyed, proud, and eager for the days ahead.
But this was only the beginning. The national-level Codefest was still waiting for us. And unlike the 6-hour sprints of the local and cluster levels, the national stage would be a grueling 36-hour marathon, with participants staying at the venue the entire time, dorms and meals provided.
But that's a story for another blog. Stay tuned.
GitHub Link to SkillSwap, the project developed during this hackathon.