By: Delaila Irma T. Calindas, Project Technical Staff II

BAGUIO CITY — Thirty-five student leaders from across the Cordillera took on real problems from government agencies and local institutions on October 8, 2026, as the Commission on Higher Education – Cordillera Administrative Region (CHED–CAR) and the Department of Trade and Industry – CAR (DTI–CAR) held their first Regional Reverse Pitch.

Carrying the theme “Youth Solutions for Regional Challenges,” the event was conducted under YEP-Project MARITES in support of the goal of “raising a generation ready to contribute to the nation.” It marked a milestone in efforts to strengthen youth-led innovation in the region.

The participants, drawn from State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Autonomous Higher Education Institutions in the region, developed solutions to pressing issues in agriculture, the academe, social development, and innovation ecosystems.

The program opened with a welcome message from Ms. Menzie O. Kuengan, Supervising Education Program Specialist of CHED–CAR. This was followed by a discussion on design thinking and the reverse pitches from the four agencies.

Unlike a traditional pitch competition, the reverse pitch format puts the problem first. Government agencies and institutions present challenges they face in their sectors, and students respond with creative, feasible, and community-responsive solutions.

The four reverse pitchers were CHED–CAR, represented by Education Supervisor II Dr. Christopher Depnag; DTI–CAR, represented by Senior Trade-Industry Development Specialist Mr. Paul Aloysius Mayo; the Smoke-Free Baguio Task Force, represented by Communications Management Officer Mr. Joshua Daniel Rivera; and the Local Government Unit (LGU) of La Trinidad, represented by Executive Assistant Atty. Delmar Carino.

In the afternoon, the students were divided into five teams of seven and worked on their designated challenge. Over two hours, the teams developed their solutions and pitches with coaching from representatives of DTI–CAR and UP Baguio SILBI.

The teams then presented their solutions to a panel of judges composed of DTI–CAR Assistant Regional Director Atty. Samuel Gallardo; Ms. Joan Luise Ong, co-owner of Ongkoleyt; and Mr. Ace Mark Aniceto, Student Research Committee Chair of the Philippine Science High School – CAR Campus.

Group 1 won Best Solution and Best Pitch Delivery for “Tongtongan,” its response to the challenge presented by the Smoke-Free Baguio Task Force. Group 2 took home Most Innovative Solution for “Binnadang Market Place,” which addressed the challenge from the La Trinidad LGU. Atty. Gallardo, who also sat on the panel of judges, delivered the closing message.

By bringing government agencies and students to the same table, the Regional Reverse Pitch showed how young people can help shape solutions to the challenges facing their own communities. For the 35 participants, it was a chance to apply design thinking to real regional problems and present their ideas directly to the institutions that face them, a step toward the kind of youth-led innovation CHED–CAR and DTI–CAR aim to grow across the Cordillera.