The Young Software Engineers’ Society (YSES) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños is bringing together the next generation of Filipino coders, designers, and dreamers for EXPE21ENCE YSES— a three-week-long series of events running from March 7 to 28, 2026, built around a single, forward-looking theme: Bridging Future Software Engineers of the 21st Century. Across three weeks, the theme takes shape through three interconnected events: The HackFest, Company Talks, and the Practicum Fair and Job Fair (PF/JF).

At the core of the program is EXPE21ENCE YSES: The HackFest, a competitive hackathon anchored to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. Teams are challenged to move beyond concept and build real, working applications that respond to some of the most pressing issues facing Filipino communities today: climate resilience and disaster preparedness, good governance and transparency, sustainable mobility, and environmental advocacy. The hackathon runs across two brackets: the Collegiate Bracket, open to university-level students, and the Junior Bracket, open to high school students. By opening the competition to younger students, YSES is pulling engineers of tomorrow into conversations that matter now – and will matter even more in the future.

Running alongside the HackFest, Company Talks, and Practicum Fair/Job Fair (PF/JF) complete the series. Company Talks brings Filipino tech industry professionals into direct conversation with students – sharing not just career advice, but what it actually looks like to build technology that serves communities. The PF/JF then turns those conversations into concrete opportunities, connecting students and job seekers directly to the industry. Together, these events open doors not just to the computing industry, but to careers built on purpose.

EXPE21ENCE YSES is not just a standalone event series – it is a reflection of YSES’ long-standing bet on Filipino students and what they are capable of building. For nearly 21 years, YSES has served as a consistent bridge between the academe and the demands of the technology industry, building that connection through annual practicum fairs, job fairs, hackathons, and coding competitions that draw hundreds of registrants each year. Last year’s iteration drew over 30 competing teams from schools, colleges, and universities across the country, alongside 10+ industry professionals and tech companies – numbers that reflect not just participation, but genuine investment from both sides of the bridge YSES has spent two decades constructing.

For the organizers, EXPE21ENCE YSES is more than a celebration of the organization's 21st year – it is a declaration of what YSES believes software engineering is, and what it can become. YSES does not frame software engineering as a career path alone, but as a responsibility and a form of civic engagement – one that has driven every program, every hackathon, and every job fair YSES has organized for the past two decades. This is the same conviction that shapes every event in this year’s series.

Two decades of bridging the gap. Three weeks in March to show what happens when Filipino students are given the tools, the mentorship, and the mandate to build for their communities.

See the full event details and register at https://expe21ence.yses.org/.