ILOILO City – Western Visayas is stepping up efforts to transform university research, homegrown inventions and grassroots innovations into commercially viable businesses that can generate jobs, attract investments and accelerate regional economic growth.
The ambitious push will take center stage during the 3rd Western Visayas Innovative Startup Fest on October 22 to 24, 2026, at the SM Iloilo Terminal Market in Iloilo City, bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, government officials and industry leaders to strengthen the region’s emerging startup economy.
The initiative comes as Iloilo City gains international recognition as a developing technology hub, having entered StartupBlink’s Global Startup Ecosystem Index at 744th worldwide and fifth among Philippine cities.
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region 6 director Engr. Rowen R. Gelonga said the region’s priority is to move beyond developing innovative ideas and establish enterprises capable of creating employment and contributing directly to economic development.
“In the startup community across Western Visayas, what we want to see are viable enterprises that can generate jobs and contribute to economic growth,” said Gelonga.
“We do that by connecting the research outputs of our universities to potential startup opportunities — transforming high-quality research into commercial products,” he added.
The strategy seeks to address a critical challenge confronting the region’s innovation sector: translating promising academic research and technological discoveries into marketable products and sustainable businesses.
Gelonga emphasized that universities and students must become active participants in entrepreneurship rather than limiting their contributions to academic research.
“We need creative and talented students. We team up with universities because they are the ones generating bold ideas. We want to see them transform from researchers and innovators into successful business owners,” he stressed.
STRONGER STARTUP ECOSYSTEM
Central to the initiative is the Unified Movement in Western Visayas to Accelerate Startup and Spin-off Development (UMWAD), a regional consortium linking technology business incubators, universities, national government agencies, local governments and private companies.
The collaboration aims to provide aspiring entrepreneurs with access to technical expertise, business incubation, financing opportunities and potential commercial partners.
“This is an interconnected ecosystem where everyone — the academe, government, and private sector — must work together. Here in Western Visayas, our partnership is strong because if we don’t support one another, it will be difficult to achieve our regional aspirations,” Gelonga said.
Among the consortium’s major partners are DOST-6, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Iloilo City and Iloilo provincial governments, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Western Visayas, and Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT-U).
The regional startup drive has also gained institutional support following the passage of startup ordinances by the Iloilo Provincial Board and Iloilo City Council.
These measures provide mechanisms for seed grants, market-matching assistance and incubation support intended to help emerging enterprises develop and expand their operations.
Innovation infrastructure is likewise being strengthened.
Following the establishment of the Regional iHub through DOST-6 and ISAT-U, another innovation facility is set to open at Festive Walk Iloilo through a partnership involving DOST Iloilo, the Iloilo City Government, startup accelerator FyrLab and Youth First Initiative Philippines.
Startup development activities are also expanding beyond Iloilo, with UMWAD-affiliated networks pursuing initiatives in Capiz, Antique, Aklan and Guimaras.
TURNING INNOVATIONS INTO INVESTMENTS
Carrying the theme “Scaling the Region’s Startup Ecosystem: Enabling Founders, Driving Innovation,” the three-day festival will serve as a platform for connecting innovators with potential investors, industry buyers and government support programs.
Unlike conventional technology conferences primarily attended by industry executives and investors, the festival will be open to the public to encourage broader participation in innovation-driven entrepreneurship.
Among its major attractions is the Mayor’s Innovation Cup, which will feature grassroots solutions addressing urban agriculture, waste management, local governance and civic technology.
Another program, SINAG 2026, will focus on helping social enterprises and micro-cooperatives adopt innovative business models.
The festival opens on October 22 with the Western Visayas Innovative Startup Conference, spearheaded by DOST Western Visayas and UMWAD, followed by a stakeholders’ fellowship gathering organized by Global Shapers Iloilo.
On October 23, the Technology Matching forum organized by the University of the Philippines Visayas and RAISE Western Visayas will connect research-based innovations with prospective industry buyers.
The same day will feature the launch of “Startup Iloilo,” a joint undertaking of FyrLab and the DOST Iloilo iHub, alongside DTI’s Online Slingshot Region 6 program for digital economy startups.
The festival concludes on October 24 with the final pitches for the Mayor’s Innovation Cup and the Grand Innovation Awards.
The awards will recognize outstanding participants in the Startup Ecosystem Awards, Mayor’s Innovation Cup, Iloilo Province Startup Hackathon and Wadhwani Ignite Awards.
Interactive startup exhibits will remain open throughout the three-day event, while PCCI Western Visayas will conduct an Innovators Summit at Casa Real inside the Iloilo Provincial Capitol.
Organizers are encouraging students, entrepreneurs, business owners and prospective investors to participate, emphasizing that innovation should translate into practical economic opportunities and solutions to community problems./PN
