Senior High School students have until November 12, 2026, to join Innova-Thon 2026, an interdisciplinary case competition organized by the Upsilon Sigma Phi of the University of the Philippines Diliman in celebration of its 108th anniversary.
Innova-Thon 2026 gives students the chance to apply what they learn in the classroom to a real-world business case. In partnership with Maya Philippines, this year’s case, with the theme “Financial Literacy. For All.”, invites participants to explore real-world challenges within the digital landscape. Teams analyze the challenges and opportunities in the case, look at how the different parts of an organization interact, and propose a solution that is innovative, feasible, and sustainable, and that responds to the needs of its stakeholders.
The competition is open to Senior High School students currently enrolled in recognized educational institutions. Each team is made up of three to five students from the same school, may have one faculty adviser or coach, and must be endorsed by the school administration or an authorized faculty representative. A school may register more than one team, subject to the available competition slots. Schools are encouraged to form teams that bring together students from different strands, such as STEM, HUMSS, ABM, Arts and Design, and Sports.
HOW THE COMPETITION WORKS
Innova-Thon 2026 runs in two phases. The Online Pitch Submission is from November 3 to November 12, 2026. During this phase, each team submits its presentation deck in PDF format and a one-page executive summary through the official submission form, together with a link to its recorded pitch, which must not exceed ten minutes.
The ten teams with the highest scores will be announced on November 15, 2026, and will advance to the Finals Pitch on November 21, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the School of Economics Auditorium, University of the Philippines Diliman. All finalist teams are required to attend the Finals in person. Each finalist team will have ten minutes to present its proposal and ten minutes to answer questions from a panel of judges composed of members of the academe, industry professionals, and accomplished alumni.
Entries are evaluated on five criteria: problem analysis and understanding (20 percent), innovation and creativity (20 percent), feasibility and implementability (25 percent), potential impact and sustainability (20 percent), and presentation and response to questions (15 percent).
PRIZES AND RECOGNITION
Over PHP50,000 worth of prizes and awards are at stake. The Champion team will receive PHP20,000, the 1st Runner-Up PHP10,000, and the 2nd Runner-Up PHP5,000, along with trophies and certificates. Special awards will also be given for Best Team Presentation, Best Speaker, and Best Social Impact Solution. All finalists will receive certificates of participation, and the faculty advisers or coaches of the finalist teams will receive certificates of appreciation.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS
The Upsilon Sigma Phi is the first Greek-letter fraternity in Asia. Throughout its history, the Fraternity has produced leaders in government, the legal and medical professions, and the private and public sectors. Innova-Thon 2026 is co-presented by Maya Bank,
Inc., in cooperation with BADA Philippines and the University of New South Wales, and brought to you by Merqado Food Ingredients and E&F Enterprises Inc. Its media partners are Now You Know, Monster RX93.1, and Gadgets Magazine.
HOW TO JOIN
Interested teams may register through https://bit.ly/innova-thonregistration on or before November 12, 2026. The Participant Case Kit is available at https://bit.ly/innov-case-kit. For questions, schools and students may email the organizers at [email protected].