DICT MisOcc leads startup mapping in Oroquieta

As an initiative to fortify, promote, and nurture the Philippine Startup EcoSystem, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Misamis Occidental held a Startup Mapping in Oroquieta City, September 8, utilizing a collaborative and participatory data-gathering approach.

"Kaning Oroquieta Startup Ecosystem Mapping nga activity is actually initiated by DICT, part sa program sa Digital Startup Development and Acceleration Program (DSDAP). Ilang tuyo is to make the cities makahimo sila og enabling environment for the startups," said Engr. Franch Maverick A. Lorilla, D'Eng, TBI Manager-CDObites, University of Science and Technology Southern Philippines (USTP), and DICT consultant.

[This Oroquieta Startup Ecosystem Mapping activity initiated by DICT is part of the Digital Startup Development and Acceleration Program. Their intention is to make cities provide an enabling environment for startups]

He added that the internet has become an equalizer.

"If you are in the countryside, if you have an internet connection and talent, and if you have resiliency and persistence in your mindset, you can really be a successful startup founder," Lorilla said.

A startup is a temporary organization or business in search of a scalable business model using technology to solve a problem.

There are three criteria to identify a startup business: one is solving a common problem; second, the solution to the problem is scalable; and third, the solution is not obvious.

"We need to develop as much as possible talents or possibilities nga maka generate ta og mga tech-startups kai kung daghan ta ma develop nga startups, and syempre dako siya og economic nga igo, naa tay daghan mapa trabaho, ma boom ang economy. Kini nga businesses, dali manobo, og in-demand," he said. 

[We need to develop as many talents or possibilities as possible to generate tech-startups because if we develop many start-ups, which of course can impact our economy hugely, we can provide more jobs and boost our economy. These businesses will easily grow and be in demand]

Further, Lorilla shared that there is no need to be a genius to come up with solutions to the problems of a community; it takes empathy.

"Pinaka-need lang gyud nimo [all you really need] is empathy. That’s how simple it is. Empathy is putting yourself in the shoes of other people; if you are very good at that skill, it’s easy for you to spot an opportunity out of a problem. Even if you are not a tech founder, you just need to look for a co-founder who knows how to program and build the product altogether," he shared.

Through Republic Act (RA) 11337, or the Innovative Startup Act, the DICT is implementing the Digital Startup Development and Acceleration Program (DSDAP) to promote and strengthen the competitive advantage of Filipino startups.

One of the components of the DSDAP is Project SCALE: Startup Community and Local Enhancement. (JMOR/PIA-10/Misamis Occidental)