AB Development Studies juniors win Sole Searchers Hackathon

A team of AB Development Studies juniors recently won the Sole Searchers Hackathon hosted by Eskwelabs last 14 October 2023, at the Asian Institute of Management. This event was in partnership with the Asian Development Bank, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Philippine Footwear Federation Inc., and Zapateria Hub.

The challenge posed to all teams was to create a digital marketing campaign proposal that would drive innovation and foster growth for the shoemaking industry in Marikina City. The country’s shoe capital has long been under the threat of stagnation. 

As a response to the challenge, Team Go the DStance, composed of Napia Faye Begtang, Monica Isabel Jose, Jameelou Maramag, Pio Francisco Ramirez, and Erri Mikaela Tan, came up with a proposal that is centered on digital capacity building for Marikina-based MSMEs. The group came up with a two-phase capacity-building program, which includes digital literacy and citizenship (four months) and digital creativity and entrepreneurship (eight months). In their proposal, they made sure to integrate Ateneo de Manila University by considering its business centers as potential partners.

Their goal of co-creating digital integration that fosters sustained development and growth for the local shoemaking industry proved to be worthwhile, as they were hailed a winner of the hackathon.

In their presentation, the group emphasized the idea that Marikina shoes have been able to take many generations of Filipinos to where they are today. With this, the group posed the question: Where can Marikina shoes take us next?