ILAGAN CITY, Isabela — Government, industry and academic institutions in Isabela are seeking to build a province-wide digital workforce and innovation ecosystem aimed at creating jobs, attracting investment and improving coordination among local governments.
The initiative was discussed during the Transformative AI Network (TRAIN) Innovation and Networking Week 2026, which brought together provincial and city officials, educators, students, businesses and other local stakeholders.
The event was co-convened by Isabela governor Albano III and lawyer Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, convenor of TRAIN and the Philippine ICT Innovation Network. It was organized by PESO-Isabela under provincial PESO manager Cecilia Claire “Jeng” Reyes.
Activities included the Isabela Digital Transformation Forum, a WISER workshop, the Isabela DigiWork Expo and separate meetings with officials from Ilagan, Santiago and Cauayan.
The forum examined how Isabela’s cities, schools, businesses and government agencies could operate as part of a connected provincial digital ecosystem.
Stakeholders used the WISER framework — Workforce, Innovation, Strategy, Ecosystem and Resilience — to identify gaps and priorities in skills development, investment, digital strategy, collaboration and institutional readiness. The framework was developed by Batapa-Sigue.
The DigiWork Expo, meanwhile, focused on digital employment and emerging skills through panel discussions involving technology companies, startup founders, educators and industry specialists.
More than 200 students from about 20 colleges and universities attended the expo, according to organizers. Discussions covered career pathways, workforce upskilling, locally developed technology ventures and collaboration between schools and employers.
Speakers included Batapa-Sigue; HL Accelerator founder and SaligPay co-founder Jay-Cee “Cece” Tan; Colliers Philippines assistant research manager Martin Aguila; FullSuite Pod founder Maggie Po; Layertech Software Labs CEO Frei Sangil; and Toon Boom Animation senior director Daniel Santos.
Other speakers were technology lawyers Frances Loraine Valdez and Reina Santos, Limitless Lab founder and CEO Joei Cruz, TAIO chief operations officer Emmanuel Victoriano and JayThree Information Technology chairman and president Jeanette “Pam” Toledo.
The TRAIN delegation also met Ilagan City mayor Josemarie “Jay” Diaz, Cauayan City mayor Caesar “Jaycee” Dy Jr. and Santiago City mayor Alyssa Sheena Tan to discuss digital workforce programs, investment opportunities and cooperation among the three cities.
The initiative seeks to connect local governments, schools, businesses and national agencies to expand Isabela’s pool of technology workers and support the province’s emerging digital economy.
