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A cloud-based platform that lets users outsource everyday tasks to interested providers, developed by a three-man team of software developers, won the top prize at the annual Globe Telecom’s Hack-for-a-Nation competition.
Team OhMyGenie, composed of Jomar Luguit, Christopher Fernandez and Rodrigo Aquino, Jr., won the top prize of P75, 000 plus mentorship from Globe to boost their startup. “We were inspired to develop OhMyGenie to generate employment opportunities for Filipinos and also assist them in getting jobs in the outsourcing industry,” team leader Luguit said.
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Through its database, OhMyGenie can provide a skilled worker an avenue to address a job requirement. For instance, Luguit said a user could tap from OhMyGenie’s pool of electricians for an electrical-type of work in his home. OhMyGenie can also provide manpower for office work requirements. “The purpose of the platform is to connect the blue collar workers and the users who need extra personnel for their office jobs. Anyone who has trade skills can apply in the website and earn extra income,” he explained.
As far as revenue generation is concerned, Luguit said the platform would get 10 percent commission for every transaction. For example, if a plumber charges P1, 000 for his services, OhMyGenie will charge P100 fee immediately upon payment. According to him, OhMyGenie plans to put up a customer support system similar to the Uber and Grab systems to determine the background and character of the service providers that will apply in the platform.
Luguit added OhMyGenie would only get the credible and legitimate service providers. “We will require service providers to submit documents such as the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance, driver’s license, resume among others,” he said, adding the team plans to hire software developers for their expansion plans in the future.
Hack for a Nation, forms part of the activities undertaken by the telecommunications company during its annual Globe Innovation Forum with the objective of tackling social challenges through innovation and technologies, one app at a time. Developers were challenged to develop an interactive prototype either a mobile or web application that supports nation-building initiatives from a telco-oriented approach.
“As a technology company and a telecommunications provider, Globe seeks, through the Hack-for-a-Nation, to take advantage of technological gains in harnessing creative ideas that will lead to finding innovative fixes to societal challenges,” Globe Chief Information Officer Pebbles Sy-Manalang said.
Team Wanderast, which developed a calamity response app called Project Bayanihan, won second place in the hackaton. The team won also won P50, 000 cash prize. According to Team Wanderast, Project Bayanihan is intended to “establish basic communication between victims and rescuers during calamities like a big earthquake.” The app has three ways of being able to send for help: click action for smartphone users to send location to the server, sending SMS for users of feature phones and bluetooth beacon for worst-case scenario in the absence of a cell service such as in the aftermath of a strong earthquake. Furthermore, the app makes use of a simple server that can immediately be accessed by the LGU and other organizations to respond to requests for help and pinpoint exact locations or know exact situations.
“We want to address the painful reality that if we are buried in rubble during an earthquake (or other major calamity that prevent you from reaching help that you badly need) and somehow are still alive, we don’t have any immediate and reliable means to contact rescuers,” said Team Wanderast.
Team Haraya’s Future Trainer, which won third place and P30, 000 cash prize, seeks to address the dearth of facilities in the technical-vocational track of the K-12 program. Future Trainer solves this by providing schools and students with virtual facilities and equipment through the virtual reality technology. Team Haraya seeks to market Future Trainer to students studying vocational and heavy industries where it requires a lot of training exposures on heavy machineries and equipment.
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Team Minerva, composed of Adrian Vincent Tayag, Russ Delos Santos, Cedric Velandres and Gabriel Enriquez, got the nod of the judges for a special award and cash prize of P30, 000. During the team’s presentation, Tayag stressed that “developing data driven, automated aquaponic systems with mobile app monitoring would help solve the nation’s obstacles in achieving food security and having an efficient food supply chain by increasing farms’ productivity per unit area and decreasing transit time through building vertical farms within urban areas.”
Minerva is a modular and intelligently automated aquaponic system that will function as an additional source of produce for the farmers. It will use internet of things (IoT) sensors to help farmers achieve real-time data gathering and proprietarily developed AI for automation and yield forecasting.
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