UP wins inter-collegiate programming competition

CEBU – Three of five teams from the University of the Philippines- Diliman bested 34 teams from 25 schools in yesterday’s 2nd Philippine National Inter-Collegiate Programming Competition held at the University San Jose-Recoletos-Basak Campus.

Winning the national finals enables the three teams to represent the Philippines in the regional competition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the date of which is yet to be known.

If they win the regional round, the UP teams would get to represent Asia to the ACM ICPC World Finals in Stockholm, Sweden next year.

Each competing team consisted of three college/university/higher education students.

The participating teams were made to solve six problems within three hours using a computer. The team with the highest number of problems solved at the quickest time won the competition.

The contest was held at USJ-R’s computer laboratories at the St. Ezekiel Moreno building in its Basak campus.

In his message delivered yesterday, Dr. Jaime Caro, president of the Computing Society of the Philippines, said holding the contest in Cebu City is “another milestone” for the CSP.

“It is another evidence of the readiness of Cebu City to expand and improve its capacity as an IT hub and the resolve of our partner universities to push for improvement of computer science and information technology programs throughout the country,” Caro said.

The other participating teams came from Ateneo de Davao University (one team), Ateneo de Manila University (three teams), Ateneo de Naga University (two teams), Ateneo de Zamboanga University (one team), Cebu Institute of Technology (one team), De La Salle Canlubang (one team), De La Salle University – Manila (three teams), DMC College Foundation (two teams), Emilio Aguinaldo College (one team), Far Eastern University -East Asia College (one team), Foundation University (one team), Microsystems International Institute of Technology (one team), Naga College Foundation (one team), Silliman University (two teams), Systems Plus Institute (one team), Southwestern University (two teams), Technological Institute of the Philippines (one team), University of Cebu - Banilad Campus (one team), University of Cebu - Lapu Lapu and Mandaue (one team), University of Cebu - Main Campus (one team), University of Saint Louis (one team), University of San Carlos (one team), University of San Jose - Recoletos (two teams), and University of the Immaculate Conception (two teams).

Yesterday’s judges were Rafael Saldaña, associate professor of the Ateneo de Manila University (head judge); Eliezer A. Albacea, professor of the University of the Philippines-Diliman; Jaime D.L. Caro, professor of the University of the Philippines-Diliman; Caslon L. Chua, associate professor of the De La Salle University-Manila; Gregg Victor D. Gabison, associate professor and dean of the University of San Jose-Recoletos; Nelson Marcos, associate professor of the De La Salle University-Manila; Prospero Naval, Jr., associate professor of the University of the Philippines-Diliman; and Kardi Teknomo, associate professor of the Ateneo de Manila University.

Philip Zuñiga of the Department of Computer Science of the University of the Philippines-Diliman acted as alternate judge. – Liv G. Campo/JMO (THE FREEMAN)