11/08/2026
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐จ ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐
๐จ๐จ๐ ๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐๐ค๐๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ง 2026; ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ
What began as a simple response to the call for food product innovation entries has culminated in a significant milestone for the Surigao del Norte State University - Malimono Campus, as its innovation team emerged among the top performers in the SNSU Food Product Innovation Hackathon 2026.
The Malimono teamโs Bangus Sarap was declared Champion in the Professional Category, while its student innovation, Bangus Forte, earned a coveted spot among the Top 5 Finalists in the Student Category.
Anchored on the theme โCircular Economy in Food Innovation,โ the Food Innovation Hackathon 2026 challenged participants to transform ideas and local resources into innovative, sustainable, and potentially marketable food products. The competition featured rigorous preselection and pitching stages, where entries were assessed based on creativity, relevance, innovation, and their potential contribution to a more sustainable and circular food system.
๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ: ๐
๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ข๐จ๐ง
The journey of Bangus Sarap was far from simple. Behind the winning product were countless ideas, trials, revisions, tasting sessions, packaging adjustments, and moments of uncertainty summed up by the familiar question: โOkay na ni?โ
What started as an entry eventually became the No. 1 innovation in the Professional Category, demonstrating the team's creativity, perseverance, and commitment to transforming a local food resource into a product with value and potential.
The team, composed of Maโam Katherine Ruth S. Hermoso, Maโam Berna Cris C. Gomez, and Maโam Abegail P. Dumanig, expressed their heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to the development of Bangus Sarap. Their collective efforts and dedication were instrumental throughout the entire innovation journey - from the initial conceptualization and product development stages to the series of trials, refinements, and ultimately, the final presentation and pitch.
Their championship is not only a personal achievement but also a reflection of the growing culture of innovation being nurtured at SNSU Malimono Campus.
๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐
๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฉ 5
Adding another milestone to the Malimono team's achievement, Bangus Forte, a student-developed innovation, also secured a place among the Top 5 Finalists in the Student Category.
Behind the student innovation are Michaela, Rose Ann, Lovelyn, Ana, and Carlyn, whose creativity, dedication, and willingness to undergo the demanding innovation process contributed to the product's success.
From conceptualization and experimentation to revisions and presentation, the student innovators demonstrated that meaningful innovation can emerge when young people are given the opportunity, guidance, and space to transform their ideas into tangible solutions.
๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐จ๐จ๐ ๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐๐ค๐๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ง 2026 ๐๐ข๐ง๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฌ
The competition recognized six outstanding food innovations across the Student and Professional Categories.
STUDENT CATEGORY
๐ฅ 1st Place โ CocoWhey Juice
๐ฅ 2nd Place โ CocoShroom Instant Soup
๐ฅ 3rd Place โ Coffee-Choco Waffle Crunch
PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY
๐ฅ 1st Place โ Bangus Sarap
๐ฅ 2nd Place โ ChocoWhey Drink
๐ฅ 3rd Place โ ChampMocha
While the competition highlighted innovations from across SNSU, the victory of Bangus Sarap and the Top 5 finish of Bangus Forte placed SNSU Malimono Campus prominently among the university's emerging hubs for food innovation and entrepreneurship.
๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
The Malimono team likewise expressed its appreciation to the entire SNSU Malimono Campus family, headed by Campus Director Dr. Jerry B. Acero, for the unwavering support extended throughout the innovation journey.
The team's success underscores the importance of an institutional environment where ideas are encouraged, experimentation is supported, and innovators are given the confidence to pursue possibilities.
Gratitude was also extended to the SNSU Food Innovation Center and the DOST evaluators for their valuable insights, technical recommendations, and constructive feedback, which helped the innovators refine and strengthen their products.
The hackathon, anchored on circular economy principles, emphasized how local and underutilized resources can be reimagined into products that create value, serve communities, and potentially contribute to a more sustainable and competitive food ecosystem.
For the Malimono team, the experience was more than a competition. It was a journey of collaboration, experimentation, learning, and perseverance.
Two entries. Two milestones. One proud and grateful Malimono team.
Bangus Sarap โ Professional Category Champion.
Bangus Forte โ Student Category Top 5 Finalist.
The achievement stands as another testament to what can happen when innovation meets opportunity, creativity meets support, and ideas are given the chance to become solutions. This is not simply a victory to celebrate - it is a milestone that inspires the campus community to continue creating, innovating, and turning local possibilities into meaningful solutions. #
๐บ๐ฉ๐บ๐ฑ๐น
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SDG 9 โ Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
SDG 12 โ Responsible Consumption and Production
