#onsiteveent

written by: Hershelle Hannah Agasa

This major event I took part on organizing alongside not only my classmates in BSMEC 4A, but also our batchmates in BSCS and BSIT, is entitled “GC-CCS TechFest 2026: Exploring the Advancements and Innovations in Computing”. Unlike most of our hosted events, this event has two venues: Gordon College Oval Grounds which housed the partnership booths, and the Olongapo City Civic Center which hosted the Hackathon with the collaboration with Team1 Philippines. This event happened on May 9, 2026, starting from 8:00am – 5:00pm, and it also included competitions like esports, digital art, animation, and many others relating to the Computer Studies field.

Out of every event we hosted, TechFest 2026 has got to be the most confusing ones we did. Speaking in my perspective, I've noticed that people have mixed reactions regarding our event. Some were confused as to why the event organizers didn't make the event be held in one venue, which is, a fair statement. Especially with the extremely hot weather during the month of May, having a venue where people can relax in a cool environment would garner the most traction.

While majority of the people went to the Olongapo City Civic Center to watch the Hackathon, listen to the invited speakers, and take part in the raffle giveaway, I stayed in the Gordon College Oval Grounds not only to help set up the canopies outside, but also to assist the booths with their sales, even buying their good to support their small businesses. When noontime came as the weather gotten hotter, I helped with moving the booths inside the building's first floor, of course with the approval of the security guards. Fortunately, the rest of the day went tame in the venue I was in, with people visiting the booth, regardless of if those who visited were CS students or faculty, or even outside our department or school!

While this TechFest wasn't as pleasant as I'd hope it'd be, it still taught me the art of togetherness and how communication is important across all sectors and demographics. As some people say, we can't always control what happens, that's just what the real world is. However, you can do so much with even the small act of kindness. I'm often called a worrywart, but I also don't want to come off as someone who'd rather leave the hard work to only a few heads to suffer alone.