Six students walked away with first place in the technology category
On April 18, 2026, six students from Central Philippine University's College of Business and Accountancy claimed first place in the Technology Category of the 4th PCDEB National Business Plan Competition, presenting a concept called 'Hue For You' before judges drawn from universities across the Philippines. Their win, achieved under the competition's theme of resilient and sustainable entrepreneurship, reflects a growing institutional conviction that business education must cultivate not merely commercial instinct, but the capacity to build with purpose. In a country investing heavily in the next generation of innovators, this moment places CPU among the institutions quietly shaping what that generation will look like.
- Six students carried the weight of national competition, standing their concept against the most promising student-led business ideas from universities across the Philippines.
- The judges were not simply evaluating a product — they were looking for strategic thinking and creative problem-solving woven through the theme of sustainable, resilient entrepreneurship.
- 'Hue For You' distinguished itself not only by its innovation but by how deliberately the team aligned their proposal with the competition's deeper intellectual challenge.
- Behind the team stood a coach, a dean, and a department chair — a layered architecture of mentorship that turned individual talent into institutional achievement.
- The victory lands as evidence that CPU's commitment to developing future-ready entrepreneurs is producing results visible on a national stage.
On April 18, 2026, a six-member team from Central Philippine University's College of Business and Accountancy took first place in the Technology Category at the 4th PCDEB National Business Plan Competition. Their entry, a concept called 'Hue For You,' impressed a national panel of judges evaluating the year's most compelling student business ideas.
The competition, presided over by PCDEB Vice President for Visayas Dr. Carina E. Raylos, challenged participants to engage with the theme 'Business Education 5.0: Innovating Learning for Resilient and Sustainable Young Entrepreneurs.' What distinguished the CPU team — Aesha C. Cadion, Ellysa D. Clavaton, Nelle Ivory T. Galea, Monica T. Gregorio, Ellaine Jean E. Padilla, and Faith Alessandra T. Sangco — was not only their concept but the strategic and creative depth with which they inhabited that theme.
The team was guided by coach Dr. Marivic C. Santos, with institutional support from CBA Dean Dr. Lorna T. Grande and Department of Business Administration Chairman Dr. Carmen N. Hernandez. This structure of mentorship reflects CPU's deliberate investment in student entrepreneurship.
CPU holds CHED Autonomous Status and ISO 9001:2015 certification, standing as the only university in Iloilo City with autonomous standing — a distinction that shapes its identity as a center of educational quality and innovation. The success of 'Hue For You' at the national level suggests that CPU's emphasis on training entrepreneurs to think in terms of sustainability and social responsibility is not merely aspirational — it is beginning to show.
On April 18, 2026, a team of six business students from Central Philippine University walked away from the 4th PCDEB National Business Plan Competition with first place in the technology category. Their entry, a concept called "Hue For You," had impressed a panel of judges drawn from across the country to evaluate the year's most promising student-led business ideas.
The competition, organized by PCDEB with Vice President for Visayas Dr. Carina E. Raylos presiding, brought together top student innovators from universities nationwide. Central Philippine University's College of Business and Accountancy fielded the winning team: Aesha C. Cadion, Ellysa D. Clavaton, Nelle Ivory T. Galea, Monica T. Gregorio, Ellaine Jean E. Padilla, and Faith Alessandra T. Sangco. What set their proposal apart was not just the concept itself, but the way they had threaded it through the competition's central theme—"Business Education 5.0: Innovating Learning for Resilient and Sustainable Young Entrepreneurs." The judges saw in their work the kind of strategic thinking and creative problem-solving that the theme was designed to surface.
The team did not arrive at this moment alone. Behind them stood Dr. Marivic C. Santos, who coached them through the preparation process, and institutional backing from Dr. Lorna T. Grande, Dean of the College of Business and Accountancy, and Dr. Carmen N. Hernandez, Chairman of the Department of Business Administration. This layering of mentorship and institutional support reflects how seriously CPU takes the development of its student entrepreneurs.
Central Philippine University itself carries particular weight in the region. It holds CHED Autonomous Status—a designation that places it among a select group of institutions in the Philippines with the authority to design and implement their own academic programs. The university maintains ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification and has been recognized by Iloilo as a tourism site. It stands as the only university in Iloilo City with autonomous status, a distinction that shapes how the institution positions itself in conversations about educational quality and innovation.
The victory signals something broader about CPU's institutional priorities. The university has made a deliberate commitment to nurturing entrepreneurs and innovators who are equipped not just to start businesses, but to build them with an eye toward sustainable development and economic growth. In an era when business education increasingly emphasizes resilience and social responsibility alongside profit, CPU's students are being trained to think in those terms from the start. The success of "Hue For You" at a national competition suggests that training is taking hold.
Notable Quotes
The team demonstrated outstanding innovation, creativity, and strategic thinking aligned with the theme 'Business Education 5.0: Innovating Learning for Resilient and Sustainable Young Entrepreneurs.'— CPU announcement
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
What exactly is 'Hue For You'? The source doesn't explain the actual business concept.
That's the interesting gap—we know it won, we know it impressed judges, but the details of what the product or service actually does aren't spelled out in the announcement. It's a technology-driven business idea, but the specifics remain with the team.
Why does it matter that CPU has autonomous status?
Autonomous status means the university can design its own curriculum and academic programs without waiting for government approval at every step. It's a marker of institutional maturity and trust. When a university with that credential produces winning entrepreneurs, it carries more weight.
Six students, three faculty members mentioned. Was this a large team effort?
The six were the core team competing. The faculty—Santos, Grande, Hernandez—provided guidance and institutional support, but the students did the intellectual work. It's a lean structure, which often means the students had to do more of the heavy lifting themselves.
The theme was about 'resilient and sustainable young entrepreneurs.' Did the team's concept directly address that?
The source says their work was 'aligned with' that theme, which suggests yes, but we don't know how. They may have built sustainability or resilience directly into the business model, or they may have simply framed their pitch around those values.
What comes next for them?
The announcement doesn't say. They've won recognition and validation at a national level. Whether they actually launch the business, whether they pursue it as a capstone project, or whether this becomes their post-graduation venture—that's still unwritten.