We warmly congratulate our Deals and Corporate Finance team for successfully wrapping up the 10th M&A Challenge on 16 January 2026 at our Makati office.
This annual event empowers college students to develop and showcase their skills in crafting innovative mergers and acquisitions (M&A). During the competition, teams collaborated with seasoned M&A professionals from Isla Lipana & Co./PwC Philippines to craft proposals for transactions in the energy transition sector.
This year, 120 teams from 56 schools nationwide took on the challenge of creating deals focused on energy transition. Only six teams made it to the final round, where they presented their strategies to a distinguished panel of judges. This panel included Chairman and Senior Partner Roderick Danao, Deals and Corporate Finance Managing Partner Mary Jade Roxas-Divinagracia, and Deals and Corporate Finance Partner Catherine Lipana-Gomez. They were joined by Alberto Dalusung III, Energy Transition Advisor at the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities; Ruth Yu Owen, President and CEO of Upgrade Energy Philippines; and Ruby De Guzman, Director III at the Department of Energy (DOE) Renewable Energy Management Bureau.
Team To All the Firms I've Merged Before from the University of San Jose–Recoletos emerged as the champions, winning a cash prize of PHP100,000 for the team, PHP15,000 for their university, and internship opportunities with Isla Lipana & Co.’s Deals and Corporate Finance unit. Team M&Agnificent Four from the University of the Philippines Diliman secured the first runner-up spot, clinching a PHP50,000 cash prize and an additional PHP10,000 for their university. Team Synergy from Silliman University was named second runner-up and given a PHP20,000 cash prize. Each of the remaining finalists won a cash prize of PHP10,000. Lyle Isaac L. Illaga from Team To All the Firms I’ve Merged Before and Alessandra Isabelle A. Donesa from Team Synergy were also celebrated as Best Presenters.
The challenge was led by our Deals and Corporate Finance Partner Darwin Saribay.
Congratulations to all the winners for their outstanding achievements!
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