Siglat innovation hub serves over 3,000
The city’s SIGLAT (Synergize, Innovation and Gravitate Leadership towards Adaptive Technologies) Youth Innovation Hub, the first specialized innovation hub for youth in the Philippines, has been getting more engagements allowing it to serve more clients.
In its two years of operation since Sept. 2023, SIGLAT through its three co-working spaces has had 4,981 engagements benefiting 2,963 youth and 407 other stakeholders.
It has also played host to a total of 1,611 benchmarking and visitation sessions from different groups and institutions from different parts of the country.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong said the facility located at the basement of the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center has been serving its purpose as a “safe and inclusive space to improve young people’s safety, well-being and quality of life in urban environments by providing them opportunity to explore solutions to sustainability, resiliency, climate action, and food security.”
Youth Hub overseer Micaela Rimando, junior technical staff of the City Planning, Development and Sustainability Office (CPSDO) under Arch. Donna Tabangin, said the hub provides amenities through its three co-working spaces – the creative space, thinkers room and the safe and sound space.
“The hub offers fully-equipped co-working areas divided into three spaces:The CREATIVE ROOM contains prototyping tools like 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC machines, high-end laptops, tablets, and more for innovators to bring their ideas to life.”
The SAFE AND SOUND ROOM is an ideation space for young changemakers and like-minded individuals to connect and brainstorm.
“The THINKER’S ROOM serves as a conference room to conduct meetings with collaborators and businesses. Driven by Baguio’s local leadership, SIGLAT enables the city’s youth to gain hands-on experience with emerging technologies like robotics, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality to drive social innovation.”
To avail of the services, interested parties may message their Facebook page SIGLAT – Baguio Youth Innovation Hub.
The Youth Hub project was implemented by the CPDSO to serve as a developing center for youth collaboration and innovation toward making their city livable and resilient.
Tabangin said it aims “to involve young people in ideating and implementing innovative solutions for tracking safety challenges and provide opportunities for young people and local government officers to promote dialogue and encourage them to co-create innovative solutions with other urban stakeholders to improve safety in their cities.
The initiative is in collaboration with the Safe and Sound Cities (S2Cities) program, led by the Global Infrastructure Basel Foundation (GIB) in partnership with the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) and the Cordilleran Youth Center (CYC). It is hosted by the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation and supported by the Fondation Botnar.
Social innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem expert Erwin Lizarondo who served as project consultant of the city said that while there are many innovation hubs established in the country, the city’s facility is the first to exclusively cater to the youth. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
