Written by Azzele Labay & Jerric Panayo | Photographed by Kimberly Tandoc
On November 6, 2025, students from the School of Information Technology (SIT) attended the Bitskwela Youth: Blockchain Summit seminar in the University of Baguio (UB) Centennial Hall. Bitskwela – a
Filipino led platform teaching blockchain and cryptocurrency – discussed blockchain as an emerging technology, students were eager to learn and explore the possible career opportunities that emerge alongside it. Aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4: “Quality Education” through
educational discussions on blockchain, SDG 8: “Decent Work and Economic Growth” by promoting possible career paths and opportunities through blockchain, SDG 9: “Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure” with the discussion of emerging innovation which is blockchain, and finally SDG 17: “Partnerships for the Goals”, where
in Cyber Warriors, Coins.ph., Bitskwela, Anichess, and UB collaborated to make the educational seminar possible.
The seminar began with a brief welcoming and opening remarks in the form of a video from the Department of Information and Communications Technology – Cordillera Administrative Region (DICT-CAR) Director Jimmicio S. Daoaten where he addresses the student audiences and gives an inspiring speech on the goal of the seminar which was “To give you a practical starting point, so you can see where your skills and functions can meet real-world needs”.
Afterwards, the first resource speaker Jacob “Jakks” Bueno – co-founder of Cyber Warriors, a team that travels from campus to campus to educate people on blockchain and cryptocurrency – was introduced. His discussion highlighted the evolution of money from trading in 900 B.C. to the current digital currency like cryptocurrency. Which was followed by the discussion on the evolution of the internet containing three key stages: Static, Social, and Semantic. Once the foundational ideas were established, he moved on to the discussion of blockchains which have three core principles that being validation, security, and immutability. Upon entry, the chain begins with the validation upon entry with nodes. The connections are secured and its security is enhanced through its immutability, to which nothing can be changed or modified — blockchain being a digital ledger where all the transactions are in one place
Moving on to the second resource speaker, Mr. Emmanuel Ignacio, Business Development Lead at Coins.ph, discussed the current state of cryptocurrency in the Philippines and the opportunities and challenges that come with it. He described Coins.ph, a licensed crypto exchange, e-wallet, and remittance platform, as a bridge between traditional finance and Web3. Ignacio explained that while traditional cross-border payments take one to five days and charge merchants three to ten percent in fees, Coins.ph enables faster peso-to-crypto conversions through asset tokenization and seamless on/off-ramps. By reducing capital inefficiencies such as pre-funding requirements, blockchain unlocks new revenue opportunities and makes payments more predictable and cost-effective. For students interested in fintech, Ignacio emphasized that understanding these modern payment systems is now as essential as knowing traditional banking was ten years ago.
Once Mr. Bueno and Mr. Ignacio established the “What”s of Blockchain and cryptocurrency, the third resource speaker was introduced. Ms. Andrea Pilapil, Youth Lead at Bitskwela, who spearheads blockchain education programs across the Philippines, explained that working with blockchain, the technology behind digital money, is not only for computer experts. She discussed that it is a fast-growing field where regular Filipinos, including teachers and hotel workers, can earn higher pay than in traditional jobs. Whether someone knows how to code or simply enjoys talking to people, there is a role they can pursue. Her advice is to learn the basics, join online communities, and keep practicing. She compared it to searching for any other job, but with much better pay
Before the fourth speaker was introduced, TQ – an independent creator, Guild Founder of Sauce Squad, and founder of the #TQaid charity – promoted Anichess to the audience with free giveaways for audience members who sign up to Anichess. She also talked about tokens where people earned money through gaming. She advises the audience to buy during the “dip” and sell during the “high” with crypto. She spoke of her wish to play and talk about games that would actively help people gain economic stability that would also help people explore their skills.
With that, the last resource speaker was introduced. Mr. Marc Christian Nazario an ambassador for Anichess, an online community-driven chess game with a twist of magical spells included. His talk began with his history with Anichess being the 2025 Anichess champion. He talked about the Anichess reward strategy that instills participation where the game not only promotes chess but also builds a community. He mentions that Anichess isn’t just a game but a space that gives power to the gamers. These games are not only just for fun, but for growth, connection, and rewards. People get to earn through passion and opportunities and a community built together as players. Here, he addresses Ms. TQ and thanks her for the community she – a member of the Anichess core team – helped create for him.
