A Master of Information Systems (MIS) student from the UP Open University (UPOU) recently led her team to international recognition at both the APRU Tech Policy Hackathon 2025 in Bangkok and the Huawei Cloud AI Summit 2025 in Hong Kong.
As an MIS student applying a balance of technical skills and strategic thinking, Darmae Tan served as team leader, product ideator, and the initiator who formed the team behind CreditPass, an AI-powered credit capacity system designed to make financial assessment more inclusive.
Conceived by Tan as part of her growing expertise in MIS, CreditPass uses alternative data and psychometric analysis to assess credit capacity. It offers a more accessible and explainable model for individuals who are unbanked or underbanked. The project shows how MIS students can integrate technology, human-centered design, and data strategy to address real societal needs.
At the Huawei Cloud AI Summit (Finance Track), her team secured 2nd Runner-Up among more than 150 entries for their responsible and socially impactful AI solution.
In the APRU Tech Policy Hackathon in Bangkok in September, the team received an Honorable Mention out of 70 teams across the Asia-Pacific, further validating the potential of CreditPass.
In an email interview, Tan shared that “the experience of doing a multi-disciplinary collaboration helped me improve both on the technical and strategic aspects.” She also noted that feedback from APRU mentors helped refine the solution and strengthen its policy framing.
Both competitions exposed her to diverse, real-world applications of technology and broadened her understanding of responsible AI, innovation practices, and the global landscape of tech-driven social impact.
Tan’s achievements highlight the capacity of MIS students to design solutions that address community needs. UPOU continues to support learners as they develop technology-driven initiatives that contribute to positive change in society.
Written by: Joy Abigail Rebulanan | Edited by: Shari Eunice San Pablo