02 December 2025
Impact Week PH 2025 ran from November 5 to 13 in Baguio. It was the fourth time the program was held in the Philippines and the first time outside Metro Manila. After three successful editions at Benilde HiFi in Manila, this year’s event brought fresh energy to Baguio, where students, mentors, and innovators came together for a week of design thinking and collaboration.
The week focused on empathy, creativity, and inclusion. Students teamed up to tackle issues like inequality, environmental threats, and economic uncertainty. They worked closely with local and international facilitators who shared their own perspectives and guided them through the design thinking process.
The City Government of Baguio, through CPDO and SIGLAT, partnered with the TARAKI Consortium, the University of the Cordilleras, and Benilde HiFi to make the program possible. Their support grounded the workshops in the realities of the city and gave participants a chance to see how their ideas could connect to real community needs. The move from Manila to Baguio gave the program fresh energy, sparking new conversations and connections among participants.
A highlight of the week was the training of Junior Design Thinking Coaches. These students stepped into mentoring roles, guiding younger teams through brainstorming, prototyping, and testing ideas. Their involvement gave the sessions a peer-to-peer energy that made collaboration feel more natural and inclusive. Younger participants learned how to shape their ideas with support, while the Junior Coaches discovered how to lead with empathy and patience.
Resilience defined the week. Teams kept working even as a typhoon and a brief earthquake disrupted schedules. They adapted quickly, shifted spaces, and carried on with their projects. That determination became part of the story, showing how teamwork and focus can keep innovation alive even in the middle of disruption.
Benilde HiFi’s role as the institution’s technology business incubator stood out clearly. Its advocacy for empathy-driven innovation links directly to programs across Benilde. College students have already tackled social issues through the SUSS Bootcamp. ABM, TVL and GAS SHS students explored social innovation and inclusive prototypes in two Animo Create workshops. Sixteen startups incubated at HiFi also entered the BAJ Accelerator Cohort 2025, proving that ideas nurtured at Benilde can grow into ventures with global reach. Benilde HiFi is also nationally recognized as a DOST‑accredited Technology Business Incubator, ranked first among 27 universities to receive this distinction.
Impact Week PH 2025 in Baguio showed how creativity and inclusion can shape solutions for communities. It also highlighted Benilde HiFi as a place where students and startups get the support to turn ideas into impact.
Benilde HiFi supports innovators by turning ideas into prototypes, guiding student projects, and helping startups grow into ventures with global reach. To explore more of its programs and stories, read about Benilde HiFi on Medium.com or follow them on Facebook.
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