01 August 2025
Benilde’s Game Design and Development Program marked its 15th anniversary with a special celebration at PGDX 2025, the Philippine Game Developers Expo. Held from July 25 to 27 at the SMX Convention Center Manila, the event gathered game studios, educators, students, and professionals from across the country and beyond for three days of showcases, talks, and collaboration.
Benilde was the first college in the Philippines to offer a full degree in Game Design and Development. The program launched in 2009 with the support of the Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP), initially as a specialization under the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. As early as 2008, Benilde had proposed the title Bachelor of Science in Game Design and Development (BS-GDD). At the time, however, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) had no mechanism to recognize Game Development as a separate academic discipline. To proceed, the program was approved under the BSIT framework.
In 2014, CHED released CMO No. 2, Series of 2014, which formally established Game Development and Digital Animation as recognized fields of study. This allowed Benilde to transition the program to the Bachelor of Science in Interactive Entertainment and Multimedia Computing (BSIEMC). Then in 2023, the program reached a long-awaited milestone when CHED officially approved the BS-GDD nomenclature, realizing the vision first laid out in Benilde’s 2008 application.
Since producing its first graduates in 2012, the program has remained a national leader in game development education, shaping both academic direction and industry engagement in the field.
At PGDX 2025, Benilde featured a booth exhibit, student showcases, and alumni-led projects. Twelve award-winning student games were presented, along with independent titles in the PGDX Indie Game Stars area. Faculty and alumni also joined panel discussions, mentoring sessions, and networking activities.
PGDX 2025 was not the first time Benilde’s Game Design and Development Program worked with the Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP). The two have had a longstanding relationship since the program was first launched in 2009 with GDAP’s support. In 2024, the College signed a Memorandum of Understanding with GDAP to expand internships, microcredentialing, and joint projects. Benilde is GDAP’s first academic partner and continues to work with the organization to support the growth of the game development industry in the country.
“The program has always been about helping students build their own future in games,” said Norman Lee, Program Chair of BS-GDD. “We focus on collaboration, industry practice, and national contribution.”
With a long history of working closely with GDAP and other industry partners, the Game Design and Development Program continues to produce students who earn recognition for their work. At the 2024 Philippine Creative Awards, Benilde students received major honors including Game of the Year, Best Game Design, and the Innovation Award. These achievements show how the program’s industry-aligned training helps students create high-quality, original games that meet professional standards.
The Game Design and Development Program offers two specialized tracks: Game Programming and Game Art. Students gain hands-on experience using professional-grade tools such as Unity, Unreal Engine, Adobe Creative Suite, and VR hardware from Meta and HTC. Game Art majors are also trained in industry-standard software including Blender, Maya, ZBrush, and the Substance suite. These tools are integrated across Game Art, Design, Programming, and Production courses to support the creation of complete, fully playable game experiences.
“We teach students to build complete games, not just isolated parts,” Lee said. “They learn to design, create art, program, write, and produce, much like in real studio environments, while being mentored by a faculty composed entirely of industry practitioners and seasoned veterans.”
The program develops studio-ready professionals who can contribute meaningfully to creative teams and grow into leadership roles in the evolving game development landscape. It goes beyond matching students to job titles, focusing instead on nurturing adaptable, skilled, and industry-aware creators. The curriculum is aligned with the Philippine Skills Framework for Game Development and strengthened through partnerships with GDAP, CG Arts Japan, Secret 6, and the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) via the student organization GUILD.
“We’re proud of our alumni who now work in studios, lead teams, or build their own startups,” said Lee. “But we’re just as proud of our students, some of whom are already being recognized as early as their first year, with projects such as ‘Ink Spire‘ featured at events like IGS. Their progress shows what’s possible when students are guided with purpose and grounded in real industry practice from day one.”
Benilde’s presence at PGDX 2025 shows its leadership in game development education. As the Philippines’ first academic program in this field, it remains committed to shaping the next generation of Filipino game creators.
For more information on Benilde’s undergraduate programs, contact us at (63) 2 8230 5100 local 1801 or admissions@benilde.edu.ph. You may also visit our website at www.benilde.edu.ph.
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