UP's Pride and Glory

UPMin’s UPGRADE is named Outstanding Incubator

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Achievements


The UPGRADE team	Richard Day

The IDEAS-Davao consortium named the University of the Philippines (UP) Mindanao’s UPGRADE as Outstanding Incubator and its center manager Richard Day as Outstanding Rainmaker at the Davao Startup Champion Awards Night, held on August 14, 2022, at the culmination of the first Davao Startup Week.

IDEAS-Davao, the Innovation and Development Accelerators Consortium for Startups in Davao, is a non-profit consortium of private and public universities, agencies, and firms dedicated to creating a startup ecosystem in the region.

UPGRADE, or the University of the Philippines Growing and Developing Enterprises, is UP Mindanao’s Technology Business Incubator (TBI) dedicated to helping social enterprises and business startups. In addition, it has forged partnerships with national government agencies, NGOs, civil society organizations, and over 17 global partners.

UPGRADE currently implements the Department of Science and Technology’s “Handholding Starting Incubators from Higher Education Institutions for Readiness towards Innovation and Technopreneurship” (HIHEIRIT PA MORE).

Rainmaker Richard Day, for his part, has successfully gained approvals for proposals with a total value of P39 million, such as the IDEAS-Davao consortium, the HIHEIRIT PA MORE, and the “Women-Helping-Women: Innovating Social Enterprises.”

In other awards, Sureplus, a social enterprise that resells, repurposes, and reallocates surplus food to minimize food wastage and hunger, was awarded Startup of the Year.

IDEAS-Davao awarded Mugna Technologies as Outstanding Startup Champion in the Private Sector and the Department of Trade and Industry for the Public Sector.

In addition, the Bloom cafe was named Best Coworking Space.

Trophies of appreciation were awarded to representatives of partners Philippine Women’s College, DevCon Davao, Women in AI Philippines, WordPress Davao, ShopSuki, Bits Circle, AgriDom, and Coffee for Peace.

In closing, UP Mindanao’s technology transfer chief Lynda Buenaobra reported that IDEAS-Davao undertook 17 preparatory and main events in August for the Davao Startup Week. For his part, Asst. Prof. Miguel Guillermo, IDEAS-Davao project lead, said, “I declare the doors wide open for the Davao startup community.”

Computer science students top IDEAS-Davao pitch competition

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Achievements


Christian Vincent Binobo of BS Computer Science deliver pitch for AutoCare app	Corally Into Gives the pitch for Alerto app


Kris Kyle Quinco answers questions about Freeroads app	Mark James Saguimpa gives the pitch for WeSibol app

Alumni and students of the University of the Philippines (UP) Mindanao’s BS Computer Science (BSCS) program emerged champions of the Techstars Startup Weekend—Smart Cities Davao pitch competition hosted by Poplar Homes on August 14-15, 2022.

Christian Vincent Binobo’s pitch for AutoCare, a car management and service locator app, topped the judges' criteria for its clean look and detailed business model created by its seven-person computer science team.

Freeroads, an app for vehicle parking space booking, and WeSibol, an app for the vegan and vegetarian community and marketplace, won second and third place. Kris Kyle Quinco, also a computer science student, and Mark James Saguimpa, a BS Agribusiness Economics student, delivered the pitches for their respective apps.

The five other participating teams pitched their proposed digital solutions to pressing problems. H2Queue aims to minimize drinking water pipeline leaks, and E-waste aims to generate points and rewards for segregated waste disposal. Alerto offers safety through users’ reports of fire, crime, and other hazards, even when offline. DMedFinder app is a one-stop medicine locator that uses Blockchain technology, and Knowbill focuses on savings in utility bills.

The panel of judges was composed of Shopsuki founder Jennica Siang, Poplar Homes director Keenan Ugarte, Linux Foundation’s Mark Maglana, New Energy Nexus’ Brenda Valerio, and DICT’s Albert Gabriel.

Techstars Startup Weekend—Smart Cities Davao is part of the first Davao Startup Week organized by IDEAS-Davao, a non-profit consortium of private and public universities, agencies, and firms dedicated to building a startup ecosystem in the region.

Chancellor's Report: July 2022

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Achievements

UP Mindanao July 2022 PAC Report.v3

Read the Chancellor's Report July Highlights here: https://bit.ly/3T5x0H5

Sports students win medals in arnis

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Achievements

Congratulations to UP Mindanao's Associate in Arts Sports Studies (AASS) students for bringing home medals during the 16th World Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation (WEKAF) World Championship Philippines (Pre-qualifying) held at Mandaue City last July 16-22, 2022!

GLENNON JHON MALISA

Category: 18-39yrs old (53kg-58kg)

GOLD MEDALIST - Double Stick

SILVER MEDALIST - Bangkaw

BRONZE MEDALIST - Single Stick Continuous

ANGELO JOHN C. ABANGAN

Category: 18-39yrs old (53kg-58kg)

SILVER MEDALIST - Padded Point Event

KAYE LOUREN L. FAMULAGAN

Category: 18-39yrs old ( -52kg )

SILVER MEDALIST - Padded Point Event

ANDREA A. PACIENCIA

Category: 18-39yrs old (53kg-58kg)

BRONZE MEDALIST - Knife Point

Magna Cum Laude places 3rd in architecture licensure exam

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Achievements

2022 062322 BRILLANTE 5x4

UP Mindanao 2018 Magna Cum Laude places 3rd in architecture licensure exam; UPMin Department of Architecture has 100% passing rate

- Ar. Julius Benedict A. Brillante (BSA 2018) is among the 31 passers from the Department of Architecture

- With 31 takers passing the exam, UPMin achieved a 100% passing rate for the ALE 2022

An architecture graduate of the University of the Philippines Mindanao, Ar. Julius Benedict A. Brillante is the latest in a growing list of top 10 placers from among UPMin's alumni.

Brillante scored 81.80% at the ALE.

The UPMin architecture program graduate was UPMin's magna cum laude in 2018.

Brillante's personal journey to passing the ALE was a challenge of pandemic proportions.

Brillante tested positive for the dreaded Covid-19 virus four days before the January 2022 ALE, and thus delayed his dreams for a few more months until the June 2022 boards.

"About six months ago I would have given up on the dream when my family and I tested positive for COVID-19 four days before the January 2022 ALE. It took me a tremendous amount of strength and courage to re-start my reviews for the seventh time. It was not easy, it felt like an endless loop, but what kept me going was the support and encouragement that I have been receiving from everyone-- my family, friends, relatives, teachers, and review-mates," Brillante said.

At UPMin, Brillante was also a thesis with distinction awardee and a recipient of UPMin's special citations for achievements in culture and the arts.

He also contributed to UP Mindanao's audio-visual presentation in the Philippine pavilion at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale in Italy.

UP's Pride and Glory

More Articles...