A team of students from Roxas City in Capiz bested other groups for the top prize. Photo credit: Courtesy of TCS.
A mobile app that enables citizens to easily call for emergency assistance during calamities bags top prize.
This article is published in collaboration with Tata Consultancy Services.
Ingenuity was on display at the TCS goIT Digital Innovation Fair, the conclusion of a year-long rollout of the company’s flagship STEM education program goIT in the Philippines.
Thirty teams of students from schools in the Western Visayas region participated in the fair this year, showcasing different digital-led solutions for various problems that exist in their communities.
Many of the projects focused on disaster risk reduction, digital assistance for farmers and fishermen, climate change awareness, and distance learning assistance, to name a few.
Mobile app to the rescue
The panel of judges picked the team from Roxas City in Capiz province as the winner, with their solution “Tabang” (“Help” in the Hiligaynon language)—a mobile application that enables citizens to easily call for emergency assistance during calamities.
The TCS goIT Program aims to demystify computer science and encourage students to take an empathic approach to problem solving. Implemented this year in partnership with the Department of Education in Western Visayas, goIT reached a total of 1,700 students in 170 schools. This yielded more than 200 app ideas, which are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
“Here at TCS Philippines, one of our goals is to shape future digital innovators as we see great potential among our students,” said Shiju Varghese, TCS Philippines country head. “Judging from the wide array of talents and skills from the participating teams, I am extremely confident that we can collectively look forward to a brighter and better tomorrow.”
Growing reach
The goIT program is a signature community engagement program present in North America, Latin America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. TCS Philippines aims to bring goIT across different regions in the Philippines, to better equip young minds with industry-relevant skills needed for the digital-first future.
As of 2022, the goIT program has reached over 100,000 students globally.
Tata Consultancy Services, or TCS, is an IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization that has been partnering with many of the world’s largest businesses in their transformation journeys for over 50 years.
