50 students complete YGG Pilipinas, DICT blockchain training

MANILA, Philippines — YGG Pilipinas and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) have announced the first results of MFW City, a joint talent-development initiative aimed at preparing Metaverse Filipino Workers (MFWs) for jobs in the global digital economy, with 50 participants graduating from its pilot program in the MIMAROPA region.

The inaugural cohort trained developers in the Move programming language for the Sui blockchain, marking the first exposure to blockchain technology for 76 percent of participants.

None had prior experience with Move.

Of the 127 enrollees, about 80 percent were third-year or higher students in computer science, information technology, computer engineering, or related fields, with nearly half already possessing one to two years of coding experience.

Despite disruptions caused by Typhoon Tino, which struck Puerto Princesa on November 4 and led to power outages and internet interruptions, the program recorded a 40 percent completion rate, considered strong for a voluntary blockchain developer course.

The storm forced the cancellation of the final class, but students continued through mentoring sessions and project work.

Classes were conducted weekly through a mix of online instruction and in-person sessions in Puerto Princesa, supported by mentoring and code reviews from Sui contributors and ecosystem partners.

Participants came from institutions including Palawan State University, Holy Trinity University, Fulbright College, the Association of Computer Scientists, and STI College, with women making up one-fifth of the cohort.

The program concluded with a capstone competition requiring teams to design and deploy working prototypes on the Sui blockchain that addressed the challenge of verifying and recognizing community contributions across schools, guilds, and online communities.

The winning team, The Scouts, developed Campfire, a platform that digitizes certificates while functioning as a gamified, NFT-based community system.

Team members Nicholo Dela Rosa and JK Rabanal were flown to Manila to present their project at the YGG Play Summit held at SM Aura Premier in Bonifacio Global City from November 19 to 22, 2025.

The first runner-up project, Spot Me, focused on reward-based engagement between event organizers and participants.

DICT MIMAROPA supported the initiative by providing training hubs, computer laboratories, and internet connectivity, including Starlink access for remote areas, while YGG Pilipinas, through its Metaversity platform, led curriculum development, mentorship, project sprints, demo days, and certification.

Organizers said the Puerto Princesa pilot demonstrates how regional hubs can be scaled nationwide, aligning with DICT’s goal of creating 8 million digital jobs by 2028.