Supporting Sustainable Development through Technology, Education, and Inclusion
Written by the Ashley Joy Idala, Redlie Lousille Cerezo, and Odin Xavier Alhambra
Baguio City, Philippines – July 12, 2025. Over 280 tech enthusiasts from across the country convened for Google I/O Extended Baguio 2025, a full-day developer conference that marked another milestone for Northern Luzon’s thriving tech community. Hosted for the second consecutive year by the University of Baguio (UB) and organized by the Google Developer Group (GDG) Baguio, the event celebrated innovation, collaboration, and inclusive digital education.
The event was spearheaded by Ms. Vanessa Orpilla, Community Manager of GDG Baguio and alumna of UB’s School of Information Technology (SIT). Her leadership—alongside UB’s continued partnership with GDG Baguio in organizing past Google Developer events—underscored the university’s growing role in promoting digital transformation and empowering local tech communities.
UB’s Key Role in the Event’s Success
The University of Baguio played a central role in ensuring the event’s success by providing excellent facilities, technical support, and a committed team. The UB Gym served as the venue for the morning plenary sessions and keynote talks, while the university’s computer laboratories hosted the afternoon hands-on codelabs.
UB’s SIT department led the technical and logistical preparations, with staff and student volunteers managing event registration, ushering, session coordination, and on-site tech assistance. The Management Information Systems (MIS) team provided dependable internet connectivity and IT support, while UB’s general services team ensured a smooth setup of sound systems, projectors, and venue arrangements.
These coordinated efforts supported SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
Morning Sessions at the UB Gym: Innovation in Focus
The event opened with keynote speeches, lightning talks, and expert-led discussions at the UB Gym. Featured speakers included:
- Jerome Matti – NVIDIA RTX AI Tech Updates
- Omar Palaming – PWA Vaadin
- Mark Olmedo – Building Your Own PC
Topics such as AI integration and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) encouraged participants to explore the possibilities of emerging technologies, advancing the goals of SDG 9: Innovation.
Afternoon Codelabs at UB Computer Laboratories: Learning by Doing
In the afternoon, participants transitioned to UB’s computer laboratories for a series of interactive codelabs facilitated by seasoned developers. These workshops provided hands-on experience with modern APIs and developer tools:
- Anton Raphael Orpilla – Getting Started with Gemini API using Python
- Ralph Vincent Regalado – Intro to Multimodal API with Gen AI SDK
- Cleao Credo – Vibe Coding with Firebase Studio
- Joshua de Guzman – Building Your First AI Agent with ADK
These sessions reinforced SDG 4: Lifelong Learning, SDG 8: Career Readiness, and SDG 9: Innovation, by equipping attendees with practical skills applicable to real-world scenarios.
Promoting Diversity and Inclusion
Google I/O Extended Baguio 2025 fostered a culture of inclusivity and diversity, with strong representation across genders and disciplines:
- Total attendees: 282, including 33 women (11.7%)
- Speakers: 15, with 5 women (33.3%)
- Google Developer Experts (GDEs): 3
This representation promoted SDG 5: Gender Equality, ensuring equitable access and opportunities in the tech industry.
Participants came from a variety of professional backgrounds, including students, web developers, analysts, backend and frontend developers, full stack developers, mobile developers, managers, and others—demonstrating alignment with SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, through inclusive talent development and skills-building.
Nationwide Reach and Community Impact
Participants traveled from Baguio City, Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos, and as far as Cebu, highlighting the event’s nationwide reach. By welcoming individuals from both urban and rural areas, the event advanced SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, offering equal access to high-quality learning and networking opportunities regardless of geography.
Sustaining Innovation Through Partnership
By hosting Google I/O Extended Baguio for the second year in a row and continuing its collaboration with GDG Baguio, the University of Baguio reaffirmed its role as a trusted academic partner in fostering technological innovation and inclusive development.
Led by an alumna of UB SIT, the partnership exemplifies how universities can drive impact beyond campus—through community-based learning, industry collaboration, and contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The 2025 edition strengthened industry-academe ties, expanded access to tech education, and positioned UB as a key driver of sustainable digital transformation in the region.
