The Philippines’ national hackathon, Breaking Enigma 2025, officially kicked off Tuesday at The Philippine Hub in Marikina, bringing together students, developers and entrepreneurs from across the country to showcase ideas for a more inclusive and sustainable Philippines.
Launched by the National Development Company (NDC) under the Department of Trade and Industry as part of Philippine Startup Week 2025, the hackathon aims to empower Filipino innovators to develop tech-driven solutions addressing real-world challenges.
The event opened with a signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, followed by opening remarks from NDC General Manager Saturnino H. Mejia, who urged participants to think big, collaborate, and use their creativity and technological skills to make a tangible impact on society.
As the official agency assigned by the DTI–NDC, New Perspective Media Group is overseeing the program and activities throughout the three-day event.
Series of workshops, mentorship
The first day of the hackathon included a series of workshops on emerging technologies, sustainability, and the creative industry led by Carlo Calimon, co-founder and president of StartUp Village and a global mentor for Google Launchpad and AMEN; Alwyn Rosel, executive director of IdeaSpace Ventures and QBO Innovation; and Phoebe Fontanilla, senior investment manager and diversity, equity and inclusion lead for ASEAN at Gobi-Core.
Following the workshops, participants will begin team brainstorming and solution development, marking the start of three days of collaboration, mentorship and hands-on innovation.
Breaking Enigma 2025 features three competition tracks: Sustainability, Technology and Creative Industry. Winners will receive cash prizes of up to ₱100,000, exclusive residency opportunities and access to potential investors, helping participants turn their projects into real-world solutions.
The Breaking Enigma 2025 will run until Friday, Nov. 14.
