MANILA, Philippines - Leading telecoms and digital services provider PLDT, through its ICT research and development department Innolab, in collaboration with Google Developer Group (GDG) Philippines, recently organized this year’s GDG DevFest to help further strengthen its support for local developers and tech startups.
Drawing in innovators and participants at the PLDT Innolab in Mandaluyong, the two-day community organized event serves as an avenue for developers to learn about Google technologies and other developer products.
Community Manager of GDG Philippines Ralph Vincent Regalado said the group partnered with PLDT Innolab because the innovation space is up to par with their specific requirements.
“Our DevFest now focuses on code lab sessions. This requires our participants to do actual programming with a need for fast connection because the contents for their output come from the internet,” Regalado said.
DevFest is the first in a series of partnerships with PLDT Innolab. “Innolab has the speed and the facilities we need and it’s easy to collaborate with them. Our global push for development relations is to have quarterly events. We can expect more collaboration between PLDT Innolab and GDG Philippines,” Regalado added.
Joey Limjap, PLDT VP and head of ICT Research and Development, welcomed the participants highlighting the telcos’s thrust in supporting the GDG DevFest in line with the unit’s mission.
“Filipinos are one of the best developers in the world. We are very creative and very resourceful. PLDT has always been supportive of these events helping empower our local innovators in developing the next breakthrough solution. This goes with our commitment to be at the cutting edge of technological development and trends,” said Limjap.
He also encouraged the participants to pursue their interests “With your work and passion, I think you can (all) change how we live, work and play,” Limjap added.
Speakers included Google Japan lead of Developer Relations team Takuo Suzuki who discussed about the developer platform ecosystem and Anuvat Rao, head of Product Partnerships & Strategic Partnerships at Google Singapore, who shared the future of search and mobile that serves as guides for developers in their app development.
Aside from the talks, GDG DevFest Philippines held breakout sessions allowing participants to take a crack on new technologies in mobile operating systems, app development, and design language, like Android Marshmallow, Firebase, Material Design, and Polymer.
The event covered Code lab tracks facilitated by resource persons such as Deuphil Kauffman (Android Marshmallow), Cristopher David (Google Cardboard), Vicky Sy (Android Basics), Suzuki (Material Design for Android), and Karen Kay Matias (Firebase for Android), Ben Sarmiento (Firebase for Web), Andreas Galster (First Polymer Elements & Polymer: Build Google Maps), Vin Lim (Polymer+Firebase), Reymart Canuel (Firebase for Web & Polymer), Benj Tupas (HTML5 Game Dev) and Grace Sojor (Material Design). Special tracks were also held by Josan Astrid (How to Use Gemma Kit) and Joyce Guiao (Web Transitions/ Animations).
Participants needed to finish three code labs with outputs signed by their instructors. 20-year-old Madelaine Ann Tagnines, a computer engineering student from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, attended previous events organized by GDG Philippines such as Google I/O 215 and Beginner Android Game Dev Workshop.
“I attend these events because it allows me to discover new things about app development. Searching in the internet or through social networks is not enough, here you get direct knowledge,” Tagnines said after her first code lab session for the day.
Talking about the how these learning sessions added to her skills “Like in Material Design before I only knew simple layouts now I know more advanced things. I’m also looking at Google Cardboard, I’m interested in virtual reality. I’m intrigued by it and am looking forward to what they will teach,” Tagnines added.
