VSU’s team LuwasPH claims regional championship in PSC X; forwards to national competition

Visayas State University continues to establish its name in the field of technology and innovation with the recent win of Team LuwasPH as the Regional Champion in the Philippine Startup Challenge X (PSC X)-Eastern Visayas Regional Pitching Competition last October 30, 2025.

The virtual pitching competition was held via Google Meet on October 28, 2025, culminating in an awarding ceremony on October 30, 2025. 

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) annually holds regional  and national pitching competitions where young Filipino innovators are given a platform to present their tech-driven startup ideas. 

Its goal is to address real-world problems anchored on key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as Quality Education and Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.

This year’s competition, themed, “A Decade of Empowering Young Innovators,” gathered fifteen startup teams representing Eastern Visayas state universities and colleges within the region.

Team KaUPod from UP Tacloban with their app “GoTita” and Team Bantay Iskolar with “UTrack” claimed second and third places, respectively. Several special awards were also presented, recognizing outstanding performances in pitch presentation, design, and communication.

Meet Team LuwasPH and their innovation

VSU’s Team LuwasPH, is composed of #ProudViscans Nevia M. Mendoza (BSME-4), Charles Vincent Mayaman (BSME-4), and Vaughn Cedric L. Araneta (BSCE-3), under the mentorship of Engr. Philip Caesar L. Ebit, from the VSU Department of Mechanical Engineering.

They presented their tech-driven startup “LuwasPH”, an innovation designed to provide timely and life-saving solutions aimed at keeping the lines of communication open during times of public crisis and emergencies.

Under the guidance of Engr. Ebit, LuwasPH impressed the judges with its clear purpose, social relevance, and strong potential for real-world application.

When asked what made them decide to go for the concept that their team have come up with, Ms. Mendoza divulged, “Honestly, the most challenging part was deciding what concept to push forward because it has to be something timely, relevant, and truly needed by the country right now especially kay agianan ta ug bagyo ug lately, sunod-sunod ang linog. So, after several suggestions that lacked impact, ingon ko, why not mag-focus ta sa disaster communication? Specifically, on how to create a communication system that works  bisan walay kuryente kay di ba mag-blackout man gyud na kasagaran kung bagyo or kung kusog kaayo ang linog. The team, together with our mentor, Engr. Ebit, agreed right away. And that’s how LuwasPH was born.”

When the team was asked about their winning edge over the other teams, Mr. Mayaman quickly answered, “I think ang nakapada-ug namo is coming up with an innovation that can bridge this big gap everytime magblackout kung naa’y calamity. We worked really hard to put a practical solution combining artificial intelligence (AI) and internet of things (IoT) to build a communication system that still functions even in the absence of electricity.”

[I think what helped us win was coming up with an innovation that can bridge the big gap that happens every time there’s a blackout during a calamity. We worked really hard to create a practical solution that combines artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT) to build a communication system that still works even without electricity.]

After being named as the champions of the regional pitching competition, the three #ProudViscans couldn’t believe the achievement that they just received. 

“Na-surprise jud mi because we weren’t expecting to win unya first place pa gyud. It was almost a miracle knowing that we were competing with prestigious universities and colleges within Region 8. So, thankful jud kaayo mi,” Mr. Araneta shared.

[We were really surprised because we weren’t expecting to win, let alone take first place. It felt almost like a miracle, knowing we were competing against prestigious universities and colleges in Region 8. We’re truly very grateful.]

Moving forward to the national stage

The team expressed their heartfelt gratitude towards DICT’s PSC X program, to VSU, to their loved ones, as well as to their supportive mentor.

“We also owe much of our success to our mentor, Engr. Ebit, sa iyang kanunay nga pag-guide sa amo, for believing in our potential, and for helping us grow, especially sa entrepreneurial aspect sa among system nga gihimo. His mentorship gave us confidence, direction, and inspiration to give our best, not just for ourselves, but for the Filipino people whom we aim to serve,” Ms. Mendoza stated.

[We also owe much of our success to our mentor, Engr. Ebit, for constantly guiding us, believing in our potential, and helping us grow,especially in the entrepreneurial side of the system we built. His mentorship gave us confidence, direction, and the push to give our best, not just for ourselves but for the Filipino people we hope to serve.]

Last September, Engr. Ebit also coached the VSU team during the ICAMEROB 2025 in Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan where the said team bagged multiple awards.

Indeed, the innovation of Team LuwasPH is a product born out of compassion for the Filipino communities that experience natural calamities all throughout the year. As Viscans, they want to become the beacon of hope to their kababayans in times of catastrophes and darkness–putting their brilliant ideas into tangible and impactful solutions. 

With this victory, Team LuwasPH is now preparing to represent Region VIII in the national level of the PSC X, where they will compete against other regional champions from across the country on December 2-5, 2025 at Clark Pampanga.

This article is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education; SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth; SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

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