From Logbook to Lifeline: How Ateneo Futurists Are Empowering Sari-Sari Stores with AI

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In the quiet corners of Filipino neighborhoods, amidst the scent of instant noodles and the clinking of soda bottles, the sari-sari store stands resilient—unchanged in form, but not immune to the challenges of modern commerce. These micro-enterprises, the heartbeat of our local economy, are finally being given a futuristic ally: artificial intelligence.

And it doesn’t come in the form of high-tech gadgets or intimidating spreadsheets. It arrives as a friend—a co-pilot—armed with empathy, intelligence, and a deep understanding of the humble handwritten logbook.

The Analog Reality

In the bustling microcosm of food stalls and sari-sari stores, the pen-and-paper ledger is gospel. It records every instant coffee sachet sold, every pack of noodles restocked, and every peso earned or owed. But it also traps data in a static form—rows of scribbles that are nearly impossible to analyze without time, effort, and digital know-how.

Recognizing this bottleneck, a team of researchers from Ateneo de Manila University’s Business Insights Laboratory for Development (BUILD) decided it was time to give the country’s smallest businesses a powerful, but accessible, edge. Led by Zachary Matthew Alabastro, Joseph Benjamin Ilagan, Lois Abigail To, and Jose Ramon Ilagan, the team created an AI system that transforms those handwritten logbooks into real, actionable business insights—without requiring a single tap on a keyboard from the store owner.

AI Without the Intimidation

In an era when automation often strikes fear into the hearts of workers and entrepreneurs alike, the BUILD team champions a more compassionate philosophy: AI as co-pilot, not replacement. Their prototype, built with Python and powered by Amazon Web Services and Claude 3 Haiku (an AI large language model by Anthropic), is designed not to overshadow human labor but to support it.

The system works simply: snap a photo of your sales logbook, and the AI does the rest. Using optical character recognition (OCR), it deciphers the handwriting, interprets the entries, matches them with product names and prices, and presents a clear summary of sales data. No internet wizardry required. No spreadsheets. Just insights.

Tested in a student-led food stall at the Ateneo Student Enterprise Center, the system already shows promising accuracy—and more importantly, huge potential. Imagine knowing which of your items is flying off the shelf before you even run out, or spotting a price trend before it eats into your profit. That kind of power, previously reserved for big-box retailers and e-commerce platforms, is now being handed to the smallest vendors on the street.

A Revolution Rooted in Reality

“We’re not trying to disrupt for the sake of disruption,” Alabastro explains. “We’re trying to make visible what’s already there—the everyday genius of small business owners who simply lack the tools to see the full picture of their sales and inventory.”

The AI tool is being trained to recognize shorthand, unique writing styles, and even regional language quirks. Over time, as it learns from more logbooks and usage, it will become even more accurate and adaptive. Soon, it could read delivery notes, payroll ledgers, inventory checklists—anything written by hand in the rhythm of everyday enterprise.

And it isn’t just about data. It’s about dignity. The BUILD team knows that digital transformation in the Philippines cannot happen by forcing everyone to go online or abandon analog habits. Instead, technology must adapt to the people, not the other way around.

A Low-Cost Leap for Local Economy

The potential ripple effect is immense. With over a million sari-sari stores across the Philippines—often run by women, elders, or students—this AI initiative could unlock a wave of smarter, faster, and more empowered entrepreneurs.

It could also herald a new philosophy in tech development: one that starts from the grassroots, listens before it builds, and aims to empower rather than replace.

At a recent Artificial Intelligence in Human-Computer Interaction Conference 2025 in Sweden, the Ateneo researchers presented their prototype to an international audience. Their message was clear: innovation doesn’t have to be expensive or exclusionary. Sometimes, it just needs to meet people where they are—in the back of a sari-sari store, pen in hand, making a living one transaction at a time.

The Future Is Handwritten… and Heard

There’s something poetic about the future being built from handwritten notes. In the age of touchscreens and tokens, it’s easy to forget that intelligence—artificial or not—must be human-centered.

By translating ink into insight, Ateneo’s BUILD team is not just upgrading tools; they’re upgrading lives. They’re proving that innovation doesn’t have to be loud, disruptive, or elite—it can be quiet, helpful, and deeply Filipino.

So the next time you walk past a sari-sari store or a food stall at a campus fair, imagine a little AI engine working in the background—not replacing the tindera, but helping her count, plan, and grow.

This is not just tech for tech’s sake.

This is technology in service of people—and that may be the most powerful innovation of all.

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