One hour was definitely not enough for our Vigattin Radio discussion today at DZIQ Radyo Inquirer 990 AM. Together with our outstanding guests, we have covered a very relevant topic: the startup community in the Philippines. Joining us were Mr. Earl Valencia, President of Ideaspace Foundation; Mr. Jay Fajardo, Program Director of Launchgarage; Ms. Tina Amper, Founder of TechTalks; and Mr. Mon Ibrahim, Deputy Executive Director of DOST-ICTO.

Tina is actually on Cebu right now, but it didn't hinder us from reaching her and asking about the upcoming Geeks on a Beach, which is scheduled to happen on September 26-27. Thanks to Google Hangout and the ever dependable mobile phone, we were able to talk to her like she's actually in the studio. With a passion for organizing events that will join like-minded individuals and, ultimately, make the world a better place, Tina and her group organized Geeks on a Beach, a conference that will bring together technology innovators, startup founders, industry leaders, and the other frontrunners of our technology and startup scene. Experts from all over the world will go to this event to share their wisdom and expertise with us. A very interesting agenda has been lined up to give you an educational and fun experience you will never forget. And did I mention that this conference will happen in Boracay? So, visit https://www.geeksonabeach.com/ for all the exciting details and the registration procedure.

We have also discussed the overall progress of the startup ecosystem here in the Philippines. A lot of things have happened since the launch of Ideaspace and Kickstart late last year. We have seen numerous startup founders who are now on their way to success. Of course, a lot more want to join the startup scene and surprisingly, pitches are coming from all over the Philippines and a lot of them are from as young as high school students. Although the startup ecosystem in the country is not yet as mature as that of Silicon Valley, it is rapidly progressing. In truth, we can't really compare ours with Silicon Valley's because what we have here is innovation and development that aim to solve problems in our country and region, which are different from problems on the other side of the world. We have a very good rate of progress, but that's judging from our own set of measurements.

We are even aspiring to be one of the leading countries in Southeast Asia in terms of technology and innovation. Now, private investors are not the only ones providing seed fund for our brilliant startups. It's good to know that even the Department of Science and Technology, especially the Information and Communications Technology Office, is now supporting worthy startups to begin and continue their innovation. DOST is not really on the frontstage of the startup community, but it is working silently and without much publicity. Aside from hundreds of scholarships the department gives to students every year, it also gives grants to deserving science and technology projects of our bright Filipino inventors and innovators.

Also, this July 25, DOST will hold a career talk on Startup Dynamics and IT-BPO Careers at the SMX Convention Center. This is for free! For more information, read the article DOST to Hold Career Talk on IT-BPO in S&T Week.

Every industry, sector, and organization is in full swing to help develop, improve, and sustain a startup ecosystem that will be known globally. You are always welcome to join our tech and startup community and help solve relevant social issues. Let's make the world a better place!

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