Instigators Win 58-Hour Hack-a-Thon

The participants and the organizers strike a pose at the conclusion of Hack
the Climate. From the event's Facebook page

Team Instigators took home the grand prize after presenting the best environment-related app at the conclusion of Hack the Climate 2014 at the ARG Theater of the College of St. Benilde in Manila City.

The Instigators are behind "Tanaw", the web app where you can check-in at an environmental landmark ala-Foursquare and tell others about it and how to protect the place from possible destroyers. The team of Louis Michael Concepcion, Dominic Tuazon, and Michael Gutierrez won for themselves two Apple Macbook Pro computers.

Team Super User placed second and won US$800. Rounding the top five were Climate Savers, Sprout, and Animus.

The five groups won for themselves PHP100,000 worth of Microsoft products each.

Sprout was also hailed as the winner of the People's Choice Award after impressing 90 people in attendance for its project. Team Vito Crews placed second in the People's Choice race.

Four-Leaf Clover, Public Energy Number 1, and Team Be Aware got the nods for the NGO's Choice Award. Each team got an Apple iPod Touch.

Four-Leaf Clover made its hack-a-thon project available for Windows phones, and with that, Microsoft handed the team with Windows phones along with Idea 92.

Animus, for its one-of-a-kind game made for XBox 360 with Kinect, was also rewarded with a Windows phone.

The event, the first official Guinness world record attempt for the longest hack-a-thon, lasted for 58 hours, longer than its target of 56 hours.

PH Eyes for World Hack-a-Thon Record

The Philippines will initiate the first official world record attempt for the longest hack-a-thon event with the staging of Hack the Climate on June 6-8 at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in Manila City.

The coding marathon aims to devise apps by NGO's and government organizations for responding to the climate change.

A group of five ethical hackers, either an all-student group, an all-professional group, or a mix of students and pros can join.

The registration fee for the professionals is PHP350, while the students who will register will pay PHP250. Interested participants can register here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/hack-the-climate-manila-tickets-11690728283.

The winning group will receive US$800 (about PHP34,000), two Apple Macbook Pro computers, Dell 10" Netbooks, three Apple iPods, and five Windows Phones.

According to Jacob Scheer, one of the organizers of the event, the event was inspired when he met with a college friend about how they can help solve the problems of climate change.

Elaine Cedillo, another co-organizer, aims at a 56-hour hack-a-thon, better than the previous Philippine record of 54 hours.

This event is presented by Princeton University Pace Center for Civic Engagement, De La Salle-College of St. Benilde, Rappler's Move.PH, Smart DevNet, GreenPeace, Redraw the Line, The Climate Reality Project, and IdeaSpace PH.