Endeavor Philippines, in partnership with Cooley, hosted Balik*Bayan Singapore 2025, a gathering that brought together over 40 Filipino founders, funders, and innovation leaders from across Southeast Asia. The event, held at Cooley’s Singapore office, focused on engaging the Filipino diaspora in discussions about opportunities to contribute to and build within the Philippines’ growing innovation ecosystem.
Balik*Bayan is an initiative by Endeavor Philippines aimed at connecting with Filipinos abroad who have personal or professional ties to the Philippines and the Southeast Asian tech landscape. The theme of this year’s event, “Balik ka sa bayan. Ibalik mo sa bayan.” (“Come home. Give back.”), served as a call to action for reinvestment in the Philippines through entrepreneurship.
The evening commenced with welcome remarks from Manny Ayala, Managing Director of Endeavor Philippines. Ayala framed the concept of “balikbayan” not merely as a return to the homeland but as an opportunity for the diaspora to contribute to nation-building through entrepreneurial endeavors. He posed the questions, “Kailan ka babalik sa bayan? Paano mo ibabalik sa bayan?” (“When will you return home? How will you give back to the homeland?”), while highlighting examples of diaspora leaders already making an impact in the Philippines.
A fireside chat featured diaspora leaders Dexter Ligot-Gordon, Co-founder & CEO of Swarm, Jose Dalino, CTO of PayMongo, and Greg Krasnov, Founder & CEO of Tonik. The discussion involved personal reflections on navigating identity, risk, and responsibility while building ventures in and for the Philippine market.
Key takeaways from the panel discussion included: the Philippines’ emergence as a promising market in Southeast Asia with a tech-savvy population and increasing investor interest; the growing global competitiveness of Filipino tech talent, particularly in product, design, and engineering; and the importance of community and strong networks built on trust and collaboration for ecosystem development in the Philippines.
Balik*Bayan Singapore 2025 follows previous diaspora engagement events hosted by Endeavor Philippines in Los Angeles and San Francisco, underscoring the organization’s ongoing efforts to connect the global Filipino community with opportunities in the Philippines.