Grand Winner of AppCon 2024 CompetitionTransiTech: Smart Transportation Management System Project Wins Top Prize

Congratulations to Team CyberGO from AMA University, College of Computer Studies, for emerging as the Grand Champion of AppCon 2024! Out of 178 competing projects and 1,042 participants from 79 colleges and universities nationwide, Team CyberGO stood out with their innovative project title “TransiTech” —a smart transportation management system designed to improve the everyday commuting experience of Filipinos through the use of real-time data and emerging technology.

The idea for TransiTech came from a real-life problem faced by one of the team members, Nathaniel Rodriguez Jr., BS Information Technology (BSIT) - 3rd Year, who regularly experienced long and uncertain commutes from Coloong, Bulacan. His daily struggle inspired the team to come up with a solution that could help not only students like him but also the broader commuting public. Initially, the team had been exploring an agricultural tech project. However, upon re-evaluating the urgency and impact of transportation issues, they shifted their focus. With guidance from Jonh Ronel Zuñiga, BS Information Technology (BSIT) - 4th year, their team leader and a previous AppCon awardee in 2023, they decided to take on the challenge of building a smart public transport management tool.

TransiTech is a multi-platform system that combines mobile and web applications with monitoring hardware. It helps commuters plan better by predicting crowd levels at stations and monitoring both passenger behavior and driver compliance. These features are powered by artificial intelligence and supported by connected devices. The system collects and syncs real-time data through a mobile app and a responsive web dashboard, aiming to ease congestion, improve safety, and enhance the commuting experience.

The development of TransiTech was a result of strong collaboration and dedication. Each member of Team CyberGO took on a specific role and often had to learn new technologies from scratch. Jonh Ronel Zuñiga led the development and managed the cloud infrastructure. Nathaniel Rodriguez Jr. , despite having no engineering background, built monitoring devices used for driver tracking. Andrea Jil Rabino, BSIT - 3rd Year and Gelizza Marie Novino, BSIT - 3rd Year developed the mobile application, while Marita Jophiel Ninobla, BSIT - 3rd Year and Daniella Mae Rodas, BSIT - 3rd Year built the web dashboard and handled documentation. Franzel Jordan Aguiluz, BS Computer Science (BSCS) - 3rd Year worked on the crowd prediction feature using AI, and additional technical support was provided by Whendell Tan, BSCS - 3rd Year and Kathleen Ocampo, BSCS - 3rd Year from other AMA University team.

The team’s journey officially began with registration in July 2024, followed by intensive self-learning sessions starting in September. The actual development phase ran from December 1, 2024 to April 18, 2025, during which they submitted weekly progress reports — a total of 20 — as part of AppCon’s monitoring process. They presented their project during Pitching Week (May 12–16, 2025) and were ultimately declared Grand Winner at the awarding ceremony on June 28, 2025. For their achievement, the team received a ₱100,000 cash prize and official certificates of recognition.

Beyond just winning the competition, TransiTech is a promising solution to real-world problems. With millions of daily commuters in Metro Manila alone, a system that predicts station crowd levels, promotes driver accountability, and improves overall commute efficiency could greatly benefit public transport. TransiTech proves that student-led projects can be practical, innovative, and impactful.

The project proponents wish to express their interest in collaborating with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and relevant government agencies such as the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to explore the further development of TransiTech. The team believes that conducting a pilot test or integrating key features into existing transportation systems could be a meaningful step toward building a smarter, safer, and more efficient transportation network in the Philippines. More than just a student project, TransiTech represents a real-world solution — a forward-thinking innovation created by AMA University students who transformed their daily commuting challenges into a practical system with national impact.