Menu
The Western Visayas Innovative Startup Fest 2025 lit up Iloilo City with a full week of innovation, creativity, and collaboration! From its grand opening on September 16 at the Iloilo Convention Center to the exciting finale, the festival carried the powerful theme:
“Shaping a Vibrant Future for the Region’s Startup Ecosystem.”
The week-long celebration brought together the brightest minds, daring entrepreneurs, and passionate innovators from across the region. With exhibits, tech talks, competitions, and networking opportunities, the Startup Fest proved that Western Visayas is truly a rising hub for startups and innovation.
🌟 Festival Highlights:
Tech Pitching Competition – startups pitched game-changing solutions with bold confidence.
Startup Hackathon – young innovators collaborated to solve real-world challenges.
Student Summit – fresh energy from the youth showing us the future of innovation.
Tech Expo and Exhibits – a showcase of groundbreaking technologies and creative enterprises.
Dialogues and Talks – powerful conversations that connected leaders, dreamers, and doers.
One of the defining moments was the launch of the Regional Action Plan for Startup Development 2025–2030, a clear roadmap designed to fuel the growth of the startup ecosystem over the next five years.
The event was made possible through the strong collaboration of DOST-VI, DTI-VI, DICT-VI, DEPDev-VI, PCCI Iloilo Chapter, Ascend Tech Expo PH, and UMWAD Western Visayas—working hand in hand to nurture ideas and transform them into opportunities.
Top leaders, including DOST Undersecretary for Regional Operations Dr. Sancho Mabborang, DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development Dr. Leah Buendia, and DOST-VI Regional Director Engr. Rowen Gelonga graced the festival, showing unwavering support for startups and innovators.
✨ The Western Visayas Innovative Startup Fest 2025 wasn’t just an event—it was a movement of passion, creativity, and collaboration. With every pitch, every dialogue, and every idea shared, the region took one big step closer to building a future-ready startup community right here in Iloilo and beyond.
Here’s to bold ideas, thriving ecosystems, and the innovators shaping tomorrow! 💡🌍
