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On innovation and the dream of becoming a startup hub in Asia

The Philippines has been touted to be the next startup hub in the Asia Pacific region. But will our increasing focus on outsourced services be a limiting factor?

Developer and startup organizations are holding startup competitions, hackathons, meetups and other community activities in the Philippines. There seems to be an influx of interest in the local startup scene, be it in Manila, Cebu, Davao or other regions that support entrepreneurship in the country. Big corporations like Globe, Smart and First Pacific are also getting into higher gear with their involvement in the startup scene. You’d think it’s all smooth sailing from here. But it’s not all rosy. There’s something bigger happening in the Philippines, which is becoming a fundamental shift in our attitude toward innovation and entrepreneurship. And it’s starting to worry some members of the startup community.

In particular, it involves the growth of the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the country — more specificlly, the big shift in the mentality in the nation when it comes to education and profession.

On GMA News Online, Kevin Leversee writes that the educational system and government are missing the point, and wonders whether the country can, indeed, be the next Silicon Valley.