JCA advances to top 10 finalists in YEC 2026

| Nicole Magno
Photos edited by Elijah Jardinez

After months of research, brainstorming, and developing solutions to real-world problems, selected JCA students secured a spot among the Top 10 finalists at the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge (YEC) at Singapore School Manila (SSM) on March 6.

The event, organized by SSM’s student organizations, opened with the introduction of this year’s theme, “Innoventures: From Community Problems to Science and AI Ventures.” The program also acknowledged the panel of judges, including Ms. Analei Atienza, Managing Director at SSM, who evaluated the innovative projects presented by various schools.

“FloodWise” was the first presenter in this event, which introduced an AI-powered concept designed to provide helpful safety tips during flooding situations. The project aims to guide communities by giving smart recommendations when floods occur.

According to Ruhan Garing, a Grade 10 student involved in the project, their team spent one to four hours every day improving their AI system and software to make it more effective and reliable.

After two other teams finished their presentations, Team JCAI impressed the audience with their AI-based application. One of its members, Vherylle Palecpec, explained that their project is “an early-warning financial monitoring app designed to help small businesses detect risks before financial problems escalate.”

Each school presented remarkable projects, highlighting the creativity and determination of young innovators. 

Several well-known schools also competed in the event, including De La Salle Laguna Campus with their project “SmartBox,” Multiple Intelligence International School with “LIKHA” and “Cooking SALAmanders,” Singapore School Clark with “AFRAD” and the champion, “IDUGTONG” from Singapore School Manila.

According to their adviser, Stanley Robinson V. Bautista, “Being in the competition is already a privilege. Being in the finals, Top 10 with Big and International Schools shows that JCAians can make an impact— same with these schools.”

He also added that while the journey was challenging, the experience and growth gained by the students made it all worth it.