A team of students from Holy Angel University in Pampanga made waves at the 2025 Google-ADB APAC Solution Challenge, earning the People’s Choice Award for their AI-driven waste-management tracking system.
The group—composed of Josh Gorospe, Joaquin Galang, Eisha Janel Tablante Alva, and Angelica Mae Tadique—stood out as the only Filipino delegation in the regional competition, which challenged students across Asia Pacific to harness Google’s AI tools for solving real-world problems.
Their project, which aims to improve waste handling through artificial intelligence, secured the award that came with a $1,000 cash prize.
“It’s one thing to talk about the potential of AI. It’s another thing entirely to witness it in the hands of brilliant, passionate students who are using it not to chase trends, but to heal our planet, strengthen our communities, and even save lives,” said Sapna Chadha, Vice President for Google Southeast Asia and South Asia Frontier, in a congratulatory post on LinkedIn.
Antonio García Zaballos, Director of the Digital Sector Office at the Asian Development Bank, also praised the competition’s entries, noting that the students demonstrated “the power of student-led innovation to address real-world challenges in healthcare, sustainability, trade, and tourism through technology and AI.”
Aside from the Filipino team, top awards also went to student groups from Pakistan, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, and Japan, with projects focused on AI-powered healthcare and sustainability solutions.
