YGG Pilipinas, DICT’s regional builder residency with Sui Foundation produces 50 graduates
YGG Pilipinas and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) have announced the first results of MFW City, their joint talent-development initiative designed to equip Metaverse Filipino Workers (MFWs) with the technical skills, mentorship, and career pathways needed to participate in the global digital economy. Its inaugural effort, carried out in the MIMAROPA region, trained participants in the Move programming language for the Sui blockchain, successfully producing 50 graduates.
Of the total 127 participants, 80% were third-year or higher students in computer science, IT, computer engineering, or related fields, with nearly half already coding for one to two years. The program addressed a clear exposure gap, introducing blockchain for the first time to a highly skilled cohort: 76% had zero prior exposure to blockchain, and none had experience with the Move language.
The program required a high level of commitment, with one online class and one in-person class held each week in Puerto Princesa, complemented by mentoring sessions with Sui contributors and ecosystem partners for feedback and code review.
The pilot attracted a mixed group, with one in five female participants, and students from a number of educational institutions across the region, including Palawan State University, Holy Trinity University, Fulbright College, the Association of Computer Scientists (ACS), and STI College.
“We’re thrilled with how it’s gone and we’re tremendously proud of the effort that everyone put in — DICT, YGG Pilipinas and Metaversity, and especially the students,” said James Wing, head of AAA Gaming Partnerships at Mysten Labs, the first contributor to Sui.
“We faced a lot of challenges with the weather, and we still were able to get really strong graduation numbers and really unique, innovative products that we wouldn’t have thought of before. It’s a testament to their perseverance: being able to adapt on the fly, especially with something as significant as not having internet. There is always going to be huge demand for builders who can adapt like these guys have proven they can do.”
Typhoon Tino struck Puerto Princesa on Nov. 4, bringing severe flooding, widespread power loss, and interruptions to internet and mobile connectivity. It forced the cancellation of the final class, yet the cohort still achieved a notably strong 40% completion rate for a voluntary blockchain developer program, demonstrating sustained commitment through both a technically demanding curriculum and the disruptions of a natural disaster that arrived in the program’s final week.
The program culminated with the presentation of the students’ capstone projects, where they were required to design and launch a working prototype on the Sui blockchain, and pitch their solution to a judging panel. Teams were tasked with solving the problem of creating a trusted, verifiable way to recognize community contributions across schools, guilds and online communities, so these achievements could be demonstrated when applying for work.
By piloting in Puerto Princesa, the collaboration demonstrated how regional hubs can serve as replicable models across the Philippines to deliver scalable blockchain education and professional development tracks, aligning with the DICT’s mission to create eight million digital jobs by 2028.
The DICT MIMAROPA provided the backbone for the program by opening training hubs, computer labs, and internet access (including Starlink for remote areas), mobilizing participants through its regional networks, and linking the initiative to local governments, schools, and community leaders. In parallel, YGG Pilipinas, through its Metaversity platform, drove program design and delivery, from curriculum and mentorship to workshops, project sprints, demo days, and certification.
SparkUp is BusinessWorld’s multimedia brand created to inform, inspire, and empower the Philippine startups; micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs); and future business leaders. This section will be published every other Monday. For pitches and releases about startups, e-mail to bmbeltran@bworldonline.com (cc: abconoza@bworldonline.com). Materials sent become BW property.
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