Calapan City, Philippines – DevUp!, an initiative dedicated to educating and empowering the next generation of blockchain developers, recently hosted a successful Smart Contract 101 Workshop at Calapan City College, helping 40+ local students take their first steps into Web3 development. With participants from City College of Calapan, Mindoro State University, and Divine Word College of Calapan, this workshop is a testament to DevUp!’s mission of democratizing blockchain knowledge and raising local talent in the growing tech industry of the nation.

The program was opened by Darlene Torres, Co-Founder of DevUp! and a renowned advocate for blockchain education, the workshop broke down the complexities of blockchain and smart contracts, making them accessible to students and aspiring developers. Torres, part of a new wave of blockchain leaders from Southeast Asia, has achieved remarkable success in her early twenties. Having overcome personal financial struggles and a lack of formal education, she is committed to making blockchain technologies accessible to individuals and enterprises across the MENA region and beyond. Her leadership in the workshop reflected her passion for simplifying blockchain concepts, especially for those with limited access to formal education.

Joining Torres was Koleen Paunon, the Developer Lead of DevUp! and a seasoned software engineer with deep expertise in blockchain and full-stack development. Paunon led the hands-on segment of the workshop, guiding students through the process of building and deploying their own smart contracts. With his extensive background in developing blockchain solutions for decentralized finance and real estate tokenization, Paunon provided invaluable insights to the students, helping them grasp both the technical and real-world applications of blockchain technology.

The collaboration between DevUp! and local colleges, in partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) IVB and the Innovation and Industrial Development Bureau (IIDB), highlights the local government units’ commitment to fostering technological innovation in regional communities. Through this partnership, DevUp! aims to bridge the knowledge gap in blockchain and provide aspiring developers with the skills they need to succeed in the Web3 space.

This workshop was more than just an introduction to smart contracts—it marked a significant milestone for the region. 

"Seeing these students deploy their first smart contracts was incredibly rewarding," said Torres. "We believe that blockchain is for everyone, and with the right tools and education, anyone can be a part of this technology's future."

Paunon echoed this sentiment, adding, "The success of this workshop demonstrates the potential of local developers in the Philippines. It’s exciting to see how they’ve embraced blockchain technology, and we can’t wait to see the impact they will have on the Web3 landscape."

With the success of this workshop, DevUp! plans to expand its educational initiatives to reach more students and developers across the Philippines. Through hands-on workshops, partnerships with educational institutions, and collaboration with government agencies, DevUp! is positioned to lead the charge in building a robust blockchain talent pipeline in the country.

As Web3 continues to grow globally, initiatives like DevUp! are essential in ensuring that local talent from provinces like Oriental Mindoro in regions like MIMAROPA are not left behind, but are instead at the forefront of technological advancements.

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