From Android Masters 2015 to Android Masters of the Future
Just a quick review.
Android Masters is a collegiate development challenge across the Philippines that aims for students to think out of the box, make it a reality and let the people use it through Google Play Store.
This is an initiative of Google Developer Group (GDG) Philippines, a community for all developers that helps each other become better developers and solvers of the future.
Android Masters was started by the GDG Philippines’ former community head, Ralph Regalado, now a Google Developer Expert for Machine Learning.
Started with luck.
I was already connected with GDG Philippines’ page months before the launch of Android Masters. Luckily enough, we are already starting the requirements gathering for topic defense for our thesis.
By the time that they announced that the registration is open for the first time, we are already starting with the designs of our application.
Chefie: A taste of something special
Ever wondered about the secret of good food? Recipes are just a click away with Chefie. Chefie is a community for chefs, cooks or anyone willing to learn to cook that provides different Asian cuisine recipes.
Chefie’s mission is to promote the richness and diversity of Asian cuisine in a very unique way. This application is the product of our will. We believe that Asian cuisine deserves a place in the global food scene and because of that, we are bringing people together to accomplish this mission.
Connecting to Asia!
It was in the least requirements of our project to have international and local chefs to be featured. We browsed through YouTube channels, Google search engine, Facebook and connections in order to have the right blend for the right taste.
As young as 18, we were able to talk to chefs from Philippines, Vietnam, Japan (and even chefs based in USA!) — how cool is that? This experience allowed me to learn the importance of a partnership’s goal and the secret to a successful one, having the same vision.
We got in?
As months went by, we successfully submitted our finished product. The team was composed of three amazing people, Alonzo Manaloto, Rocx Hernandez and me. We were able to successfully blend our skills and personalities together and turned it into something tasteful.
We received an email asking for certain requirements to proceed to the preliminary judging. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do so.
Endless possibilities!
We still got invited to showcase our application during the finals because the founder believed in us and in our project. We also got an award from the competition… and awards from our university.
Chefie was hailed as 2015’s Best Capstone Project and my first ever public speaking happened when I presented the application in behalf of the team during the first ever GDG HackFair last December 2015.
Partners reached us for possible collaboration and business with Chefie. I can still remember, this was the time that Tasty is “booming.”
The team held few meetings for further improvements of Chefie. Sadly, we all decided to focus in starting our careers in the corporate world.
App may die. But passion will not.
After being a participant in GDG Philippines, I decided to become a volunteer…and fast forward, 2018 happened. Android Masters’ founder, Ralph Regalado, trusted me in handling the competition.
Having the unique experience of being a participant, gave me a burning desire and goal to continue to discover more young talents in the Philippines through this event — to share experience and build experience to each and one of them.
Participant to Organizer
Android Masters taught me skills that helped me see and believe in young individuals — that they can do great and innovative apps. Android Masters is not just a platform rather the birth of individuals going out of their shell — the birth of Android Masters of the future.
To know more about the event: https://androidmasters.eclaro.gdgph.org/
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