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by: Ranjit G. Montablan & Athena Colline L. Verdey

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DOST-MIMAROPA Regional Director Dr. Ma. Josefina P. Abilay (center) poses for a group picture with (to her left) Andrew Wong of MAD Incubator, Palawan State University President Dr. Jeter Sespeñe, Handlink’s Elliot Hsu, PSU’s Dr. Hanlie Taha, Francis Ald erado, Darwin Tan of MAD, PSTC-Palawan PSTD Pacifico T. Sariego III, and Joy Delos Trinos. To Dr. Abilay’s right is PSU’s Dr. Michael Pido, PICTA Chairman Eleutherius Edualino, and other guests.

In pursuit of providing Filipino technopreneurs in Palawan a hub to incubate and accelerate Information and Communications Technology (ICT) – based productivity, the Department of Science and Technology-MIMAROPA (DOST-MIMAROPA), Palawan State University (PSU), Palaweño ICT Association (PICTA), and Make a Difference (MAD) Industries of Malaysia, came together to open the first ever international ICT business incubator in MIMAROPA last December 14, 2015 at the Palawan State University-Main Campus in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

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Dr. Pido, Dr. Abilay, and PSTD Sariego tour the perimeter of the Palawan International ICT Business Incubator

The Palawan International Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Business Incubator cum Start-up Hub or Palawan ITBI would cater to the growing number of technology-based start-ups by providing them a platform where they can develop their tech-relevant ideas into products that will be able to compete to the global market. As Dr. Josefina Abilay, DOST-MIMAROPA Regional Director said in her speech during the launch, the newly launched start-up hub is where “ideas can be transformed into products and start-ups can be guided to become fully-fledged entrepreneurs”

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Dr. Abilay delivers her speech at the launching of the Palawan International ICT Business Incubator cum Start-up Hub

“It is timely that this initiative is finally offering incubation services to young professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs so that their ideas or start-up products will be accelerated through the Palawan TBI” she added.

The establishment of the TBI is one step closer towards the goal of DOST-MIMAROPA, PSU, and PICTA of nurturing technopreneurship, promoting public-private partnership in the regional development of MIMAROPA, creating more jobs, and introducing the local technology ventures in the BIMP-EAGA and ASEAN Economic Community. Palawan ITBI will be operated under the MAD Incubator management framework and a partnership between a successful MAD Incubator owned by Mr. Andrew Wong.

The launching was also attended by outgoing PSU President Jeter Sespeñe, Elliot Hsu of Hand Link Corporation (based in Taiwan), as well as media representatives from ABS-CBN, City Councilor ICT Committee Chairman Eleutherius Edualino, students and some members of the faculty from PSU.