The Philippines stands as one of the nations most susceptible to the consequences of climate change. Addressing this pressing issue necessitates the swift emergence of technology-enabled startups to aid the country in adapting to climate change and rapidly scaling efforts for decarbonization.
Digital Pilipinas and The Radical Fund hosted and organized “Unlocking Climate Tech in the Philippines”, a panel discussion that talks about the current climate tech ecosystem in the Philippines and what it takes to unlock and scale climate innovation.
Featured among the conference speakers are industry pioneers and key stakeholders who are leading the charge in combating climate change through technological advancements, including: Dustin Jefferson S. Onghanseng, CEO and Co-Founder of uHoo; Amor Maclang, Convenor of Digital Pilipinas and Co-founder of GeiserMaclang; Alina Truhina, CEO and Founding Partner of The Radical Fund; Zachary Lee, Head of Investments of The Radical Fund; Marco Concio, CEO and Co-founder of KITA; Jo Ann Eala, Vice President of the Bank of the Philippine Islands; Enrique Gonzalez, Chief Executive Officer of IP Ventures; Karla Delgado, Chief Sustainability Officer of the Transnational Diversified Group; and Kelvin Lee, Commissioner at the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Some of the key takeaways from the event, include:
- The ecosystem has come a long way. In spite of that, it is still in its infancy, and there are no legacy systems that hinder the country from building it the way it should be built.
- The creativity of the Filipino people will prove to be invaluable in addressing climate change.
- Investment in education is critical, particularly in STEM and churning out more engineers and scientists. The country still pales in comparison to its neighbors and advanced economies.
- A shift in mindset is necessary to further encourage adoption of new technologies and to also encourage more entrepreneurship.
