Regional search for tech-based solutions to save PHL Seas now open for proposals

Save Philippine Seas and the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines are launching Haquathon 2.0 (H20), a regional search for tech-based platforms, software, and hardware to save our seas.  The call for applications is now open and will run until March 14.

The themes of H20 include illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; sustainable tourism; sustainable consumption and production; climate change; and “seatizen” (sea-citizen) engagement.  “The themes we selected for Haquathon 2.0 reflect the pressing issues that our oceans face.  Now more than ever, we need ingenuity, resourcefulness, and innovation,” said Anna Oposa, Executive Director of Save Philippine Seas.

The first three-day hackathon held in Manila and Cebu in June 2019 supported the development and incubation of innovative tech-based solutions in marine conservation.  Eight winners, four from each city, won seed funding to grow their ideas.

“The innovative ideas of the 35 teams who joined the 2019 Haquathon were solutions that could succeed anywhere, not only in the Philippines.  This time, we want to include more people who are concerned about the state of the seas, so we are expanding H20 to include more ASEAN countries,” said Pauline Anderson, U.S. Embassy Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer.  “We are excited to work again with Save Philippine Seas and with experts in marine research and conservation in Southeast Asia.”

“The first Haquathon helped us establish a network of players working to protect the marine ecosystem.  This gave us insight into what needs to be done to develop technology to curb illegal fishing,” shared Diogenes Pascua of ParrotFishNet, first prize winner of the Cebu Haquathon in 2019.

If you are passionate about the state of our waters and are a citizen of the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, or Malaysia with tech-based solutions that address issues in any of these areas:  illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; sustainable tourism; sustainable consumption and production; climate change; and seatizen (sea-citizen) engagement,  you may join the H20 Hackathon by submitting a proposal at www.savephilippineseas.org/haquathon2.