What’s on the horizon for Davao’s IT industry? We’re seeing more software development companies being put up (by locals and by immigrants), and we’re seeing newfangled products and services being offered locally.

This post is only about a couple of teasers. The real deal will follow as soon as I have more details to blog about.

•••Read on»

Good news to Filipinos! PayPal has now opened its full system to Philippine-based account holders. Previously, we could use PayPal only for remitting or paying, but not for accepting funds online. Now, we can accept moneys via the Internet, as well as make use of PayPal’s industry-strength and secure payment gateway facility. This is indeed a very welcome development, especially for those of us who are into technopreneurial activities.

I have yet to implement the PayPal shopping cart and payment gateway on one of my sites, but after reading through the documentation, I’m confident that PayPal can offer Filipinos a myriad opportunities for doing business online. What’s more, the basic system is practically free — except for the minimal transaction charges, there aren’t any setup fees or recurring monthly charges. Credit card purchases made on your site, for example, carry a minimum 2.5% charge, plus a US$0.30 fee per transaction. •••Read on»

Amidst political scandals and the growing disillusionment over the present administration, it is a welcome development to see your government at work. One shining example is the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI), in particular that of Region 11. Another public institution that could give this government some much-needed accolades is the Philippine Export-Import Credit Agency (PhilEXIM — officially registered as Trade & Investment Development Corporation of the Philippines).

Recently, PhilEXIM executives held an orientation seminar in Davao City for the benefit of SMEs, particularly small- and medium-sized I.T. enterprises (SMITEs). As does the DTI, PhilEXIM now has a mandate to focus on the development of the country’s I.T. industry. Before anything else, let me just say that the seminar was more than mere talk. The PhilEXIM executives, led by none other than one of the vice-presidents, were all set to start working with Davao companies. •••Read on»

Attention college students in Davao!

Do you have a bankable I.T. business idea? Do you have an e-commerce vision that could potentially become a sustainable business? Do you want to acquire the necessary skills to formulate a sound business plan?

The P.E.S.O. Davao Challenge, launched last 20 June 2007 at the Ateneo de Davao University, is the perfect venue for enterprising young Dabawenyos who’d like the chance to see their ideas transformed into real businesses. The Philippine Emerging Startups Open is a nationwide business plan competition that was initiated by Filipino graduate students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This “brain gain” initiative was inspired by the MIT US$100,000 Entrepreneurship Competition, which is 17 years running. This prestigious contest has facilitated the creation of more than 60 I.T. companies to date, with an aggregate value of US$10.5+ billion. •••Read on»

As Silicon Valley has proven time and again, the foundation of a successful and sustainable I.T. industry is academe. Cebu, by the success of its Cebu Educational Development Foundation for I.T. (CEDF-it) program, is adding credence to this model. And Davao City (“Silicon Paddy” according to my colleague, Jason Banico) might also contribute empirical data to this in a few short school years.

A couple of years ago, through the initiative of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce & Industry Inc (DCCCII), an extensive educational program was instituted for the development of entrepreneurship training at colleges in the Davao Region. This was in partnership with the Philippines-Australia Human Resource Development Facility (PAHRDF), and funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). This bore fruit when 12 colleges and universities were introduced to curriculum development coaching for an entrepreneurship program in information technology courses. The coaching ran from December 2006 to January 2007.

According to Cornelia Victolero, I.T. consultant of Davao Doctors College, the output is an elective course (3 units) which is targeted at students enrolled in Computer Science and other related majors. Each college may have different guidelines, but I think it would be a beneficial idea to offer this elective to students of any course. •••Read on»

With the elections over, it’s pretty much back to business as usual. Davao’s I.T. industry players are gearing up for this year’s major events. In particular, the Mindanao ICT Congress (I mistakenly termed it “MICT Summit” in previous articles) is starting to gain some ground.

Finally, the MICT Congress franchise owner and this year’s host organization have agreed on the broad strokes of the event’s planning and management. The Mindanao Business Council (MBC) and the Davao City Chamber of Commerce & Industry have set the date on 26 to 28 October 2007. And, the inclusion and participation of the Davao ICT Inc. has also been approved in principle.

•••Read on»

Right before the Davao Bloggers Party #1, Janette Toral, ever a huge supporter of Davao I.T., came back to Davao for another DigitalFilipino Club eyeball. There are currently only 6 members in Davao — but hopefully more will join us. This club is the country’s only e-commerce and technopreneurship private organization.

•••Read on»

Several people have espoused this idea for sometime now, that the way for our economy to flourish is to have increased entrepreneurship among the local populace. For one, the Department of Trade & Industry - Region XI has been doing its part by laying down the groundwork for startups to find it relatively easier to establish new businesses. Check out NERBAC for more information.

•••Read on»

NEAR THE TOP of a commercial high-rise in downtown Davao is a high-tech company that develops state-of-the-art business solutions for North American companies. In another building is an unassuming, but ultra-modern, geographical information systems company that counts numerous local governments across various regions as part of its portfolio. And yet in another location is a graphics design outfit that has won international recognition.

•••Read on»