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What I Learned as a Backend Intern at the Department of Science and Technology
By Ralph Luis Abejuela
- TypeScript
- Node.js
- Microservices
- PostgreSQL
- Docker
- Agile
I spent February to May 2026 as a Backend Developer Intern at the Department of Science and Technology Region V, leading a 3-person OJT team in an Agile environment.
The work
- Built and maintained multiple REST API microservices in TypeScript and Node.js, including a strategic planning CRUD service.
- Refactored microservices from Clean Architecture to MVC patterns, improving codebase functionality and long-term maintainability — the largest single architectural decision of the internship.
- Integrated services with PostgreSQL databases.
- Containerized components with Docker for consistent environments.
- Wrote automated unit tests with Jest and technical documentation to guarantee reliability.
The process
- Daily stand-ups and sprint planning were the rhythm — I contributed to task estimations and continuous delivery.
- Learned that a small team ships fastest when architecture decisions are made deliberately and documented, not left implicit.
Stack: TypeScript, Node.js, PostgreSQL, Docker, Jest, Git, Agile/Scrum.
The biggest lesson: an architecture refactor pays off only when it makes the next feature cheaper — not when it’s done for its own sake.