ILIGAN CITY (PIA) — Iligan City emphasized its growing role in regional innovation by hosting the Northern Mindanao Regional Innovation Program and Exhibit (NorMinRIPE) 2025 for the first time, highlighting local efforts to build a smart, inclusive, and tech-driven economy.
Held April 21–22 at Robinsons Place Iligan Atrium, NorMinRIPE 2025 marked the region’s fourth celebration of National Innovation Day. The event brought together stakeholders from local government units, national agencies, academic institutions, the private sector, and the startup community.
With the theme “From Ideas to Impact: Empowering Filipinnovators for National Development,” NorMinRIPE 2025 aimed to promote inclusive innovation and support regional development outside major urban centers. It featured lectures, workshops, technology exhibits, pitching sessions, and networking activities focused on strengthening the innovation ecosystem in Northern Mindanao.
Reggie Punongbayan, president of the Iligan Chamber of Commerce and chair of the Northern Mindanao and Lanao del Norte MSME Development Councils, underscored the significance of the event’s location.
“Hosting NorMinRIPE in Iligan City for the first time is not just a milestone but a declaration of the city’s readiness and determination to lead as the Smart Metropolis of the South,” she said.
In a keynote message delivered via video, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan emphasized innovation’s role in national development.
“We must flip our mindset from being slow adopters to proactive solution-seekers, from merely using imported technologies to developing our own, and from being recipients of innovation to becoming its architects. Let us work together to ensure that innovation is not just a tool for progress, but a foundation for resilience, equity, and long-term national development,” Balisacan said.
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato Solidum, Jr. also delivered a video message, stating that innovation is a key component of the administration’s socio-economic agenda.
“Innovation is an integral aspect of the socio-economic agenda of the current administration. President Bongbong Marcos has frequently emphasized the importance of innovation in developing solutions and addressing concerns at both the local and national levels,” he said.
Among the event’s highlights was the Barangay Micro Business Enterprise Forum, which guided micro and small business owners on topics such as business registration, tax incentives, and available support services.
Exhibits featured technologies and products from government agencies, universities, startups, incubators, and private companies.
Several new facilities were also inaugurated, including the DTI Shared Service Facility for the Digital Creatives Innovation Hub, the Iligan Investment Incentives and Promotions Center Office, and the DOST-Assisted SMART Cities Iligan Command Center.
Sessions during the event covered various aspects of innovation. Angelito Acupan of the Small Business Corporation presented funding opportunities for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Kenno Michael Uy, CEO of Lesstics, Inc. and a native of Iligan, shared his experience turning an eco-friendly structural panel made from coconut coir and bio-based polyurethane into a commercial product.
Sarah Perez of Plug and Play discussed how the global innovation platform connects startups with investors and partners, offering new pathways for local startups to scale internationally.
Guillermo Manrique, Jr. of NEDA-12 announced the upcoming Filipinnovation Awards 2025, a national competition recognizing early-stage innovations ready for commercialization.
The event was also highlighted by the Amihanang Mindanao Breakthrough Innovations and Technologies Awards, which recognized local government units based on innovation performance under the 2024 Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index.
Among the awardees were Cagayan de Oro City as the Most Innovative Highly Urbanized City, El Salvador City as the Most Innovative Component City, and Maramag, Bukidnon as the Most Innovative 1st Class Municipality. Also recognized were Balingasag, Misamis Oriental (2nd Class Municipality), Mambajao, Camiguin (3rd Class Municipality), Salay, Misamis Oriental (4th Class Municipality), and Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte (5th Class Municipality). Del Monte Philippines, Inc. received the Innovation Investment Award. (LELA/PIA-10/Lanao del Norte)
