5 apps that will change the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - In May 2013, Tattoo, powered by Globe, and the Global Shapers Manila Hub launched Cat@lyst, a nationwide youth competition seeking the best technology-based solu- tions to existing community problems.

As one of the members of the Global Shapers, I, along with the lean team, sifted through over 100 proposals. We narrowed down the top 15 and invited them to Shapers Lab, a develop- mental forum held on June 22 that provided an avenue to further develop their ideas. The contestants then had to wait until the T@tt Awards on July 4 for the announcement of winners.

Meet the five teams who were awarded a P200,000 cash grant for program development.

WikiPangako.ph: Holding every Filipino leader accountable

The gist: WikiPangako.ph is an online database of the prom- ises made by various elected officials and a pork barrel monitor.

Proponent: Ernest Calayag, 24 What inspired you to create WikiPangako? Last election, while my mom and I were watching TV, we

saw an advertisement by one of the senatorial candidates where he was describing his commitment to education. My mom said, “‘Yan din pangako ng tatay niya e!” This made me realize that we hear the same promises but fail to monitor if the candidates were able to fulfill these.

In another event, my seven-year-old brother, Elijah, told me, “Kuya, can you vote for Sonny Angara?” I asked Elijah why. He answered, “Because he wants free kindergarten for everyone.” I responded, “Why not Nancy (Binay)? She also has plans for children like you.” My brother replied, “I don’t know what she wants to do with children.”

This funny conversation made me realize two things: first, good advertising works big-time, and second, if a seven-year- old boy can be particular with the plans of a political candidate, how much more is expected from those of us who actually vote?

Clinical I: A helping hand to local health workers

The gist: Clinical I is a diagnostic software which contains a data- base of all known symp- toms of specific neglected tropical diseases (NTD) with treatment recom- mendations.

Proponent: Aaron Villaflores, 20

How did you come up with the name?

Our teacher in one of our classes said that the most experi- enced doctors could diagnose a patient just by observing how they look. He called this the Clinical Eye.

What’s your dream for the Philippines?

Currently, there are at least eight known NTDs that have infected different regions in the Philippines. Treatments have already been available for a long time, and yet these diseases continue to prevail because of lack of attention from the govern- ment. Hopefully, with this software and other forms of help, we could have an NTD-free Philippines.

Meet the winners of the Globe and Global Shapers Manila’s Catalyst grants!

eTapon: Establishing a community aware of waste segregation

The gist: eTapon is an application that allows households to access information regarding the options they have in manag- ing waste disposal.

Proponent: Rafael Jose Guevarra, 22 What inspired and motivated you to create eTapon? While we were deciding on what problem to address (for

Cat@lyst), the common area that we kept returning to was the environment and how people overlook even the smallest things.

What is your dream for the Philippines?

I dream that it becomes a practical country, with people work- ing in harmony to constantly make it a better place instead of just living in the fact that it isn’t a perfect country.

iNanay: Because no mother should die giving life

The gist: iNanay provides modules to pregnant women on im- munization, and neo-, pre- and postnatal care through SMS advisory.

Proponent: Aldren Gonzales, 23 What motivated you to create iNanay? I encountered my first delivery case during my nursing intern-

ship in college. How I wish that all child deliveries were as success- ful as my first encounter! But it isn’t always the case. Mothers die while giving birth because of complications that can be prevented through a simple assessment in the health center or by just being informed of the different risk factors during pregnancy.

BloodType: A blood advocacy campaign

The gist: BloodType is a web and mobile application de- signed to be an information dissemination mechanism and record keeper for blood donors.

Proponents: Kevin Mendoza, 21. This interview was an- swered by teammates James Nazareth and Migo Mantaring.

What would be your key indicators for success?

Migo: The first person we save through this application will mark its success. Ideally, the best indicator of success will be to never have anyone plead for blood donors for their loved ones in need of blood, or die because of the lack thereof.

What’s your motto?

James: “To cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always.” As future doctors, we know that we don’t always have the capacity to cure our patients’ illnesses, but what should remain is our heart for compassion. Our patient is not just the person we are attending to, but also their families, the community, and ultimately our nation.

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Find out more at http://www.catalyst.com.ph. Tweet the author @annaoposa.