[UPDATED: February 26, 2019; Originally published (local PH win) in October 2018)]

Team Inon (from left to right holding NASA bags): Matthew Concubierta, Revbrain Martin, Marie Jeddah Legaspi, and JC Torreda with US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim (photo from wheninmanila.com)

A few months back, we reported (through this article we're updating here) how some of our Ka-Globe joined a nationwide contest to develop an app, sponsored by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). They won in the local round, besting other teams who joined.

Now, these five Filipino innovators – including two Ka-Globe from our Information Systems Group (ISG) – won the top prize for the "Galactic Impact" category wherein 1,800 groups from different categories were picked to represent their countries.

Our Ka-Globe from ISG are JC Torreda and Matthew Concubierta. They both joined the contest out of their own volition, thinking like a true Ka-Globe – with purpose!

Below is JC's original ICON article published back in October when they won the Philippine leg:

What if fishermen can catch data using analog phones – via an app?

Imagine if we can bring scientifically relevant data to help fisherman get useful information. Aptly called "ISDApp", this new app, created three of our Ka-Globe and friends, is the first community app in the Philippines that aims to send data that could help fishermen catch more fish – even if they don't have an internet connection or even a smartphone at hand!

Zoom in to view the picture better

You see, marine fishing in the Philippines is more than an industry, it’s a way of life. While the archipelago is fortunate with vast fishery resources at its disposal, around 800,000 Filipinos still remain to be small-scale fishermen using traditional techniques.

Despite being a major fishing nation, the daily catch steadily drops below the needs and one of the factors that affect the yield is the bad weather condition. Local fishermen have to venture farther out to sea, which correspondingly increases their expenses and further risk their lives to earn a living. They're lucky to earn in a day, but most have debts to be paid.

With the local fishermen facing an uncertain future, Team It's Now Or Never (iNON) developed an app to communicate and improve the ordinary fishermen’s understanding of the sea and weather – their bread and butter.

ISDApp is the first community app in the Philippines that aids fishermen with the power of data, even if they don’t have smartphones and internet connection. Our aim is to communicate the information and improve the townspeople’s understanding of the environment they work in.

Installed on a municipal official’s smartphone, ISDapp will send daily information such as real-time weather, sunrise and sunset, wind speed, and cloud coverage, to registered fishermen’s analog phones. With the data sent to them hours before their fishing time, they can plan ahead and optimize their trip to the ocean. ISDApp also has its emergency features which include alerts on impending storms. For added safety, a fisherman can also send out an SOS signal and a locator for finding his last fishing spots when he is lost or stranded in the sea.

In the long run, our team would like to further enhance it with Globe Observer app’s data such as tide status, water temperature, and barometric pressure which are helpful for fishing.

Also, part of the future plan for the app includes partnership with telcos to enable SMS blasts, and points and rewards system for the app user which can help them earn equipment for fishing, with a help of a sponsor.

At the end of the day, this is what the world needs now – access to technology and information for the less privileged, like our underappreciated fisherman.

ISDApp. May the fish be with us.

ISDApp is one of the innovative solutions on that won at the recent NASA Space Apps Challenge Philippines wherein the team was adjudged as "Galactic Problem Solvers". The team was one of the four (4) entries from the Philippines for the Global competition. During the 48-hour hackathon, the team developed a minimum viable product/Prototype of the app. The basic functionalities are already in the prototype app. 

Team Name: iNON (It's Now or Never)

Team Members:

2 from ABS CBN

3 from Globe

- JC Torreda (ISG/SDD -Channels & Brands)

- Migs de Guzman (ISG/SDD - ETRD) [update: Migs is no longer with Globe as of this article's updating, February 26, 2019]

- Matthew Concubierta (ISG/SDD -Channels & Brands)

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