A New Blockchain Builder Program Opens Doors for Young Developers in the Philippines

A new blockchain builder program in the Philippines is giving young developers in a remote island province their first hands-on experience writing blockchain code and deploying real on-chain projects. Students from Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan — a long, sparsely populated island west of the Philippine mainland — spent weeks learning Move, the open-source smart contract language originally created for Meta’s Diem project and later adopted by the teams behind Sui and Aptos.

A Skills-Based Pathway Beyond Traditional Economic Barriers

Called the Sui Builder Program, the initiative provides a results-oriented training track that stands in stark contrast to the “economies of escape” many young Filipinos pursue amid widening inequalities and shrinking formal opportunities. For participants, the program offered both new skills and a sense of possibility. Speaking onstage at the YGG Play Summit in Manila, third-year computer science student Nicholo dela Rosa said the opportunity shifted their mindset toward thinking bigger and dreaming beyond the limits of their environment.

From Hackathon to Real On-Chain Apps

Dela Rosa’s team, The Scouts, won the program’s hackathon with Campfire — an on-chain application that digitizes certificates and community assets while rewarding users with badges for event participation. Co-developer JK Rabanal called it a “gamified Luma on Sui,” referencing a widely used app in the crypto events space.

Why Move Works for New Developers Outside Tech Hubs

James Wing, who leads AAA gaming partnerships at Mysten Labs, said Move is an ideal entry point for first-time blockchain developers in regions far from major tech centers. Its object-oriented structure, he said, provides a natural framework for building real-world use cases and helps developers progress quickly from fundamentals to actual deployment on the Sui blockchain.

Government and Guild Support Made It Possible

The program was backed by the Philippine government’s national ICT agency through its Palawan regional office, which provided computer labs, internet access and local coordination. Yield Guild Games, through its educational arm Metaversity, helped design and deliver the curriculum, offered mentorship and connected participants with job and project opportunities.

A Community Hungry for Opportunity

A total of 127 students enrolled, though only 50 completed the program after two typhoons disrupted the final weeks of instruction. Even so, enthusiasm remained high. Metaversity co-lead Bianca Cruz described Palawan as quieter and more laidback than Manila but said students were eager and highly motivated. She recalled one student telling her that opportunities like this “rarely” reach Palawan. Yet when one finally did, students showed up — even when it required long commutes and sacrificing weekends.