Build the Tech, Stop the Carnage, Save the World: Freelancer.com Kicks Off Largest Inter-Collegiate Hackathon for Disaster Response Management

On June 22, the whole of Metro Manila participated in #MMShakeDrill–a massive earthquake drill aimed to prepare citizens for a 7.2-magnitude earthquake caused by the movement of the West Valley Fault.

Advertisement

Organized by the Metro Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MMDRRMC) together with the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), and various other stakeholders, the metrowide event aimed to mitigate the widespread loss of lives and properties.

Such preparation is not unfounded paranoia: more than ever, it is a necessity. With the Philippines having been hailed as one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, the country must acknowledge the inevitable onslaught of supertyphoons and earthquakes (much like Typhoons Yolanda and Ondoy) in the years to come. Being caught off-guard without proper disaster response strategies is the worst thing that could happen.

Creating Technologies to Combat Calamities

As a firm believer in the capability of technology to empower Filipino talent and catalyze positive change in communities, the world’s top online freelancing website Freelancer.com has spearheaded an innovative hackathon that will rally college students to pitch their transformative ideas to address societal problems.

With Preparing the Philippines to effectively respond to natural disasters through the use of technology as the theme of the first-ever Hackzilla in Manila, Freelancer.com’s inter-collegiate hackathon, students will be challenged to build mobile applications, websites, and various other technological solutions that will concentrate on alleviating the harmful impact of natural calamities.

In partnership with the Philippine Disaster Response Foundation (PDRF), The Department of Science and Technology’s Project NOAH, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Developers Connect Philippines (DevCon), and the Philippine Society of IT Educators (PSITE), Freelancer.com’s event Hackzilla in Manila will happen from July 22 to 23, 2016, with finalists selected beforehand.

To qualify:

• Students must be currently enrolled in a CHED-accredited school;

• Each group can have a maximum of five (5) members. (Group members do not necessarily have to come from the same school.)

• Groups looking to join the competition will have to submit via the Sign Up form at http://www.hackzilla.io/sign-up/ the following details:
  1. A brief write up providing the profile of the team members including Github (or similar) references showing capability through past projects;
  2. A short 2-minute video, uploaded on YouTube, outlining their hackathon pitch in line with the event theme.

•  A maximum of 12 teams will be selected by the organizing committee, consisting of Freelancer.com senior engineers and staff, to compete in the event; 3 alternate teams will also be identified in case some of the selected teams decide to pull out of the event.

• Deadline for submission of entries will be on July 8, 2016.

• Selected and alternate teams will be notified via email on July 15, 2016.

• Competing teams should be present on July 22 at the Freelancer.com office, 30th floor, Ecotower, 32nd cor 9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

The winning team will be announced on July 23, with the finalists’ entries judged by representatives from Freelancer.com and its partner organizations.

To know more, visit: www.hackzilla.io.