Author: Dawn Solano

Silliman University emerged as the top winner of the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines’ (IBPAP) first-ever Can You HackIT hackathon in Cebu City, kicking off a bold new chapter for regional tech innovation. Held earlier this month, the weeklong program culminated in a high-stakes, one-day hackathon that brought together 28 student teams from 14 schools across the Visayas region. The program’s first-ever champion is Merge Conflict, a student team from Silliman University in Dumaguete City, who presented their project: Bant AI, an application designed to detect harmful online content in real time.“We wanted to build something that…

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has officially activated contactless fare payments at MRT-3 stations, allowing commuters to tap their Mastercard credit, debit, or prepaid cards directly at the gates to pay for their rides.At the moment, the contactless payment option is currently available at four key stations: North Avenue, Cubao, Ayala, and Taft.The upgrade, which went live on Thursday, July 25,  marks the first full implementation of an open-loop payment system in Metro Manila’s rail network. Moreover, commuters can skip ticket queues by directly tapping their Mastercard on upgraded gates, with fares automatically deducted, just like using a beep card. Here’s…

For a long time, having stable internet was considered a benchmark of digital readiness. But today, it’s the bare minimum. More businesses in the Philippines are discovering that internet access alone can no longer keep up with how fast the world is changing.As industries shift toward automation, digital payments, remote operations, and hybrid customer service, the real question becomes: what else do you need beyond connectivity? In an exclusive interview with PhilSTAR Tech, Eastern Communications Chief Revenue and Innovation Officer Edsel Paglinawan described connectivity as the essential backbone of modern business operations.“But nowadays, with the transformation that’s happening around, and…

Every July 21, my Instagram memories remind me of the first time my nephew Gavin and I truly bonded. Our Gavin, a pandemic baby, was a shy little boy, the kind who needed time and gentle patience. To this day, he takes a little longer to warm up to anyone. But during this one short family trip, I finally got him to sit next to me for a couple of funny pictures. I remember thinking I had to move quickly, he might run off any second. I didn’t expect him to stay, but he did. That was four years ago.…

While writing this piece, I found myself stumbling into tech tips I honestly didn’t know existed. Things like mini UPS units for modems or how switching WiFi bands could actually help during a storm. So if you’re like me and thought a brownout automatically meant the internet was hopeless, you’re not alone.

More than 3,000 infrastructure projects worth nearly ₱216 billion were delayed or unimplemented in the Philippines last year. Another ₱242 billion in government-funded projects, including roads, hospitals, schools, and irrigation systems, were flagged as either defective, stalled, or abandoned. Most recently, it was reported that the Marcos administration confirmed that ₱1 trillion worth of ODA-funded projects are delayed. From healthcare to transportation, the country is falling behind in fulfilling promises made to the public. While there are several reasons, one critical factor for projects to be completed successfully is the presence of a skilled project professional. The public rarely reads…

In an exclusive report by Reuters, the browser is expected to integrate OpenAI’s conversational tools with a built-in agent capable of handling tasks like booking reservations and filling out forms.

The facility is set to begin operations by August 2026 and will serve as a regional hub for producing remanufactured multifunction printers across the Asia-Pacific.

Samsung has officially introduced its latest foldable smartphones, the Galaxy Z Fold7, Galaxy Z Flip7, and the first-ever Galaxy Z Flip7 FE. 

HP Philippines and the Department of Informationa and Communications Technology (DICT) have teamed up to promote artificial intelligence adoption in the Philippines, with a focus on inclusive access and digital upskilling. The initiative was highlighted during the Frontier Tech Trends webinar, “Artificial Intelligence in the Workspace,” organized by DICT as part of National ICT Month. “It’s about making sure we all grow and adapt together—wala tayong iwanan. The spirit of bayanihan lives on in the digital age. It means helping each other understand, adapt, and thrive,” Emmy Lou Versoza-Delfin, Director of DICT’s ICT Industry Development Bureau (IIDB) said in a…