Guimaras startups pitch ideas at ASPIRE Bootcamp 2.0

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)–Guimaras, in partnership with the provincial government, concluded the ASPIRE Startup Bootcamp 2.0 with a final pitch presentation on September 11, 2025, at the GTIC Building in San Miguel, Jordan.

The four-day bootcamp, held on September 2–4 and 9, was part of the regional rollout of the ASPIRE Program under Moonshot TNK 2.0, a DTI Region 6 initiative building on efforts first launched in 2021.

The bootcamp featured five modules: business identity; design thinking and business model canvas; customer-centric marketing; digital tools; startup finance; and pitch delivery.

Participants gained practical tools to refine their business ideas and move closer to market readiness.

Five Guimaras-based startups—Fourth Arts & Crafts, GM Packaging Services, Sairil Dev, Tashi Mushroom Farm, and TourSystem—pitched their projects before a panel of judges from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Guimaras-Iloilo Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GICCI), UMWAD Western Visayas, and the Provincial Economic Development Office (PEDO)–Guimaras, with additional support from Pitch Inc.

Sairil Dev was awarded Best Startup Presentation, TourSystem earned Most Innovative Solution, and Tashi Mushroom Farm was recognized for Best Market Potential.

In his closing remarks, PEDO–Guimaras head Francisco E. Gentoral said the challenges in business planning are signs of growth, and that entrepreneurs must be both problem-solvers and bridge-builders.

He emphasized that beyond business planning, taking action is key to building successful ventures.

Through ASPIRE 2025, DTI and the Province of Guimaras aim to strengthen the island’s startup ecosystem by fostering innovation, building entrepreneurial capacity, and advancing inclusive, sustainable economic development.