MANILA - Yahoo! Philippines on Saturday finally ended their one-of-a-kind treasure hunt after 2 months of sending thousands of Filipino fans on a prize-hunting frenzy.

More than 6,000 participants showed up at Bonifacio High Street in Taguig on Saturday to participate in an on-ground treasure hunt called the "Purple Hunt" Grand Finale, where they could win a limited edition Honda Jazz painted entirely in purple doodles.

Only 40 finalists were chosen after they first had to crack a time-pressured computer code. After, the contestants drew lots to see who would make it to the final leg.

"Purple Hunters" had to go through 6 tough challenges including a hunt for a surfer-print bag located at a Speedo shop, picking 5 purple marbles from a big bowl of marbles using chopsticks, a balloon art contest, then a shirt-packing challenge at outdoor gear store ROX, then a Welch's grape juice-drinking contest.

The final pitstop was a maze, where contestants had to look for the grand prize - a Honda Jazz customized by WeWillDoodle, a graphic arts group. It took the artists 4 hours to finish designing the car's exterior.

In every leg of the contest, the Yahoo! team gave out prizes like Blackberry phones, iPods, and other cool prizes. Although the contest officially began at 9 a.m., participants lined up in the hot sun as early as 7 a.m.

The winners

At the end of the day, it was Caloocan-based Calvin Galgana from New Era University who took home the Honda Jazz. "I jumped when I learned that I won because I wasn't expecting it. When I learn how to drive, I will use my car," he said in an interview.

Second-prize winner Lizzie Cabisidan, an account executive based in Makati, won a MacBook Air, a Bose sound system, an iPod, and a Playstation 3.

She said she was not expecting to win anything after missing the fourth pitstop, but was ecstatic when she learned she won 2nd prize. "The fact that I used to be a runner when I was in high school helped me. I plan to use and enjoy my prizes, I am so glad," she said.

Although she is not allowed to access some Yahoo! applications at work, Cabisidan said she often uses Yahoo! to get in touch with friends and family, and to learn about events.

Jemuel del Valle, the 3rd prize winner, won a Canon EOS500D digital camera. "Thank god, because I got the camera and it's free. You can't just get thing like that so it's a blessing," he said in an interview.

An avid Yahoo! user, Del Valle said he frequently uses Yahoo! mail and chat to communicate with his loved ones abroad.

Saturday's "Purple Hunt" contest was in line with Yahoo's online contest of the same name, which began in late May this year.

Online users would be given clues in magazines or special Yahoo! pages to help them look for special items that could win them prizes like Krispy Kreme donuts, cellular phones, laptops, and mp3 players.

Aside from the Purple Hunt, Yahoo! also held a special concert and fair at the Bonifacio High Street grounds. Guests could hang out at purple tents, and play computer games from Level Up, watch dances and concerts, participate in games onstage, or get free Yahoo! merchandise like t-shirts and balloons.

After the rocking performances of popular Filipino bands like Sandwich, Paraluman, and others; there was also a fireworks display.

Living with an exclamation point

Yahoo! Southeast Asia Communications head Jeremy Seow said the Purple Hunt is the first of its kind in the Philippines and the world. He said the company is considering re-creating the "Purple Hunt" project in other markets.

"One thing that we find out that Filipinos are very adventurous and are willing to try new things. The Purple Hunt is really a fun way to help Filipinos discover the cool things that happen in the Philippines. It's about Pinoy passions, and to us, the internet is a good way to learn about the country and cultures," he said.

The hunt is part of the Project Purple campaign, which aims to bring about a "positive change" in the lives of Filipinos by encouraging them to use the internet. The campaign also highlights creativity, innovation,
and passion.

"I think a positive change is how more and more people are using the internet every day. Whether it is to bring down the communication barrier, or bring more business opportunities in the Philippines, or let people share information, that can bring a positive change in the nation and the people," Seow said.

According to Yahoo! data, 85% of the 22 million internet users in the Philippines are Yahoo! users.

Seow said the most popular pages and applications on the site are the Yahoo! Philippines front page, Yahoo! Messenger, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! mobile, and Yahoo! search. Report by Kristine Servando, abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak.