I remember a time when telling someone you were building a startup in Iloilo City was met with a polite but skeptical smile. The unspoken message was always the same: Why here? Why not Manila or Cebu?

That question is becoming harder and harder to ask with a straight face.

Iloilo City has quietly — and not so quietly — emerged as one of the most dynamic startup ecosystems outside of Metro Manila. And for those of us who’ve been working the ground here for years, this isn’t a surprise. It’s a long time coming.

A City That Chose to Bet on Itself

What makes Iloilo different isn’t just the infrastructure or the universities — it’s the intention. Local government, academe, the private sector, and civil society have made a deliberate choice to invest in innovation. The Iloilo Province Startup Development Council, the Iloilo Innovation Council, and programs like the DOST-funded technology business incubators aren’t just acronyms. They represent years of advocacy, policy work, and community organizing.

The result? A growing pipeline of startups tackling real, local problems — from agricultural supply chains and food traceability, to health tech, fintech for MSMEs, and smart governance solutions.

What’s Driving the Momentum

A few key forces are converging right now:

1. A Strong University Ecosystem Iloilo is home to multiple state universities and private higher education institutions producing thousands of tech, engineering, and business graduates every year. Programs like DOST’s Balik Scientist, the CHED ZDN initiative, and university-based TBIs are turning academic research into viable startups.

2. National Policy Tailwinds Republic Act 11337 — the Innovative Startup Act — gave startups a real seat at the table in national development policy. Paired with DICT’s regional programs and DOST’s TBI4.0 and SETUP programs, founders in Iloilo now have access to funding, mentorship, and market connections that didn’t exist a decade ago.

3. A Culture of Collaboration This one is harder to quantify but easy to feel. The Iloilo startup community is remarkably collaborative. Events like Startup Weekend Iloilo, FyrFest, and the Western Visayas Innovative Startup Fest have created a culture where founders share, not hoard — where a win for one startup is seen as a win for the whole ecosystem.

4. The Cost Advantage Is Real Operating costs in Iloilo — from talent to office space — are significantly lower than in Manila, while quality of life is consistently high. For founders, this means runway stretches further. For investors, the return potential is compelling.

The Challenges We Need to Be Honest About

I wouldn’t be doing anyone a favor by painting a purely rosy picture. We still face real challenges.

Access to growth-stage capital remains limited. Most available funding is in the seed and pre-seed range, and while that’s enough to validate ideas, it isn’t always enough to scale them. We need more angel investors and regional VCs willing to write bigger checks for Visayas-based companies.

Talent retention is another pressure point. Some of our best graduates still feel pulled toward Manila or abroad. Keeping them here — or bringing them back — requires not just opportunity, but a compelling vision of what Iloilo can become.

And we need to do better at connecting our startups to markets beyond Region VI. Local demand is valuable, but national and ASEAN-scale markets are where the real growth lives.

What I’m Most Excited About

Despite the challenges, I’m genuinely excited about what the next three to five years look like for Iloilo’s startup scene.

Deep technology startups — those building on AI, blockchain, IoT, and data analytics — are starting to emerge from our universities and incubators. These aren’t just apps; they’re platforms with the potential to reshape industries like agriculture, logistics, and local governance.

The founders I meet today are sharper, more globally informed, and more community-rooted than ever before. They’re not just building for exit — they’re building for impact.

That combination is rare. And it’s exactly what Iloilo has to offer the world.