The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and GeeksPH announced the revival of Geeks On A Beach (GOAB) after a five-year break and is set to happen in Panglao, Bohol on November 23-24, during the Philippine Startup Week 2023.
The two-day international conference, known for leveraging Philippine tourism and ICT Industry expertise, will gather hundreds of entrepreneurs, investors, innovators, and globally-acclaimed startup ecosystem players to showcase the country’s startup achievements in both local and international scenes.
GOAB 2023 will offer plenary sessions exploring potential investment opportunities and breakout sessions that will focus on sector-specific topics like FinTech, EduTech, HealthTech, AgriTech, and ClimateTech and other category-specific themes centered around youth and women. The event will also feature emerging technologies discussion, pitching fest, business matching, investors’ roundtable, and exhibits from various stakeholders. To cap off the conference, a relaxing networking activity awaits the participants.
GOAB 2023 strengthens the DICT Startup Program, celebrates the positive impact of Republic Act 11337 or the Innovative Startup Act (ISA), and highlights the years-long work of the Department for the Philippine startup ecosystem. This includes the Philippine Startup Challenge, now on its 8th iteration, which encourages senior high school and college students to create innovative ICT solutions that address social concerns.
“The Department has made the development of the country’s ICT ecosystems a priority by creating a portfolio for ICT Industry Development handled by Undersecretary Jocelle Batapa-Sigue and by implementing several programs geared towards the nurturing of the country’s startup ecosystem, such as the Digital Startup Development and Acceleration Program,” Secretary Ivan John Uy said during the GOAB 2023 Press Launch.
Secretary Uy said that GOAB, along with other DICT initiatives, recognizes the Philippines’ progressing startup ecosystem led by budding unicorns like Mynt, PayMongo, and Voyager Innovations. He considers these successful entities as proof of Filipino startups’ considerable potential and investability.
As the countdown to the event begins, Secretary Uy invited participants to prepare for two unforgettable innovative days on the beach while strictly adhering to safety protocols.
GOAB 2023 will also conduct pre-event workshops with longer and deeper discussions on specialized topics. These workshops will require a separate registration.
The first-ever GOAB was held in 2013 at one of the Philippines’ most beautiful beaches, Boracay. Organized by TechTalks.ph (now GeeksPH), in close coordination with the then-ICT Office (now DICT), the first GOAB was made possible through the support of various startup organizations and local government units.