Team EXCELR8 have excelled once again as they emerge as champions in the HackForGov 2025 Regional Qualifying Round for Eastern Visayas (Region 8) held on December 1, 2025, in Tacloban City.
Organized by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) through the Cybersecurity Bureau and the National Computer Emergency Response Team (NCERT), the competition brought together the region’s most promising young cybersecurity talents in an intense, high-level capture-the-flag challenge.
EVSU’s representatives, Team EXCELR8, is composed of students from the university’s Bachelor of Science in Information Technology program. Namely, Shawn Michael Sudaria, Peter Jade Talabucon, Florante Benitez, and Charles Laurence Gula, and guided by their coach Prof. Wit Excelsior T. Paña.
The team secured their win after an impressive showcase of their technical proficiency, teamwork, and strategic execution. Their victory strengthens EVSU’s presence in the field of Information Technology and the university’s growing legacy of producing competent and exceptional IT professionals.
Following Team EXCELR8’s win, Team Rolling Thunder from the University of the Philippines Tacloban earned second place, while Team Di Pinili, also from UP Tacloban, finished in third.
HackForGov, DICT’s premier nationwide cybersecurity competition, forms a crucial part of the agency’s mission of promoting cybersecurity awareness and enhancing digital resilience across the country. The series of regional qualifiers conducted nationwide helps identify top-performing teams who will be advancing to the national stage.
This remarkable achievement solidifies EVSU’s reputation as a leading institution in producing cybersecurity professionals ready to meet the demands of an increasingly digital world.
This article is aligned with SDG 4: Quality Education and SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, Technology and Infrastructure
via JS Beleña | UMDC
Photos Courtesy: DICT ROVIII
