Geeks on a Beach 2025: Where Startups, AI, and Innovation Collide by the Shore

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The waves of Mactan, Cebu, will once again crash in rhythm with the pulse of innovation as Geeks on a Beach (GOAB) returns for its 8th edition on October 1-3, 2025, at the world-class JPark Island Resort. But this isn’t just another tech event—it’s the Philippines’ premier international startup and technology conference, a crucible where groundbreaking ideas, ambitious founders, and global investors converge to shape the future of innovation in Asia.

Since its first run in 2013, GOAB has become more than a conference. It is a movement—a beachside arena where strategy meets serendipity, where “geeks” in flip-flops exchange billion-peso ideas with venture capitalists, and where world-changing collaborations are sparked over sand and sea. For startups, GOAB is not just an event. It’s a launchpad.

A Legacy of Catalyzing Innovation

“Over the past eight years, GOAB has grown into a catalyst for collaborations, investments, and game-changing ideas,” says Tina Amper, GOAB’s visionary lead organizer.

And she’s not exaggerating. Many of the Philippine startup ecosystem’s biggest success stories trace roots back to GOAB—where lightning pitches caught the eyes of international investors, where bootstrapped founders found mentorship, and where policy leaders took lessons that influenced national innovation strategies.

This year, with the world reeling from rapid AI disruption, volatile markets, and shifting geopolitical landscapes, GOAB is doubling down on its core mission: to build resilience through technology and collaboration.

What’s New in GOAB 8?

While its trademark mix of laid-back networking and hard-hitting conversations remains, the 8th Geeks on a Beach introduces fresh platforms that promise to reshape how startups and industries connect.

GOAB Beach Club – A newly launched year-round membership platform that transforms GOAB from an annual gathering into a continuous ecosystem of collaboration. “The GOAB magic isn’t just a once-a-year event. It’s now a year-round movement,” shares Dave Overton, co-founding organizer and CEO of Symph.

Startup Demos – Going beyond lightning pitches, these showcase events give founders a deeper platform to present their ideas and technologies to global investors. Overton emphasizes: “GOAB has always been a launchpad for founders. This year, we’re giving them even more opportunities to turn ideas into real growth.”

AI Masterclasses – With Artificial Intelligence shaping industries, GOAB 8 introduces exclusive team workshops, including GenAI for Startups and Tech Enthusiasts, AI for Tech Teams, and Advanced AI for Developers, Product, and Business Teams. Special rates for groups of four encourage companies to future-proof their workforce together.

One of the anticipated highlights is Tim Santos’ presentation of the PhilippineAIReport.com, a deep dive into AI adoption in the Philippines, coupled with strategies for executives on maximizing human talent alongside automation.

Backed by the Best

GOAB’s strength has always been its ecosystem of supporters, ranging from government agencies to leading investors.

This year’s partners include:

Government agencies: Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Science and Technology (DOST, PCIEERD, and Region 7), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI Region 7).

Investors and corporate backers: Austrian Business Agency, Kickstart Ventures, 917 Ventures, Sinigang Valley Association (including Foxmont Capital Partners, Kaya Founders, AHG Labs, Paymongo), Apollo Technologies, Megaworld, Bamboo Ventures, PwCPH, and more.

Community partners: QBO Innovation Hub, Ideaspace Ventures, DEVCON PH, UXPH, The Company PH, JEG Tower, The Gud Marketing, and StartupIsland.ph.

This powerful coalition ensures that GOAB doesn’t just stay as an event—it becomes an engine of opportunity for Cebu, the Visayas, and the Philippines at large.

The Roster That Inspires

Year after year, GOAB gathers some of the world’s most compelling voices in tech and entrepreneurship, and 2025 is no exception. Among the confirmed speakers are:

Jojo Flores, Co-Founder of Plug and Play Tech Center

Franco Varona and Catrina Magsadia, Foxmont Capital Partners

Audra Pakalnyte, First Move Partner

Hester Spiegel-van den Steenhoven, Co-Founder of Epic Angels

Mohan Belani, CEO & Co-Founder of e27 Singapore

Crystal Lee Gonzalez, CEO & Co-Founder of Noneaway Philippines

Josef Werker, Co-Founder & CEO of Humble Sustainability Philippines

Their stories of resilience, from startups to international expansions and acquisitions, fuel the imagination of every GOAB attendee. As Amper puts it: “These stories inspire the next generation of innovators. They remind us why we need more partners to support this momentum.”

Why It Matters

The Philippine startup ecosystem has long been hungry for platforms where it can engage the world. GOAB provides that space—unfiltered, authentic, and brimming with possibility. For founders, it’s the chance to be discovered. For investors, it’s access to untapped markets. For policymakers, it’s insight into how to design enabling environments.

Most importantly, GOAB 8 signals that Filipino innovation is not confined to boardrooms or laboratories—it thrives by the beach, powered by community, creativity, and collaboration.

About Geeks on a Beach

Launched in 2013, GOAB is the Philippines’ pioneering beachside international tech and startup conference. Known for its unique fusion of serious conversations and laid-back vibes, it has become a catalyst for investments, partnerships, and collaborations shaping the Philippine and Southeast Asian tech landscape.

This year’s GOAB happens on October 1-3, 2025, at JPark Island Resort, Mactan, Cebu. It is organized by the non-profit geeksPH with its founding government partner, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

Tickets are available at www.geeksonabeach.com or via email at hello@geeksonabeach.com. Discounted rates are available for a limited time.

A High-Stakes Wager: The Klika.ph Partnership—A Mission to Help, or a High-Octane Gamble?

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The world of digital influence is no stranger to lucrative brand deals, but an agreement is circulating that promises something more: the chance to get rich while doing good. KLiKA.ph, a self-proclaimed "digital philanthropy platform," has extended an invitation to influencers to become affiliate partners in a mission that merges "charitable giving with digital micro philanthropy". This is more than a simple product promotion; it's a high-stakes proposition that offers the allure of a golden ticket but carries the subtle risks of a grand illusion.

The question for content creators and the public is simple yet profound: Is the intention of this app truly to help, and is the agreement offered to influencers a fair and worthy exchange? A deep analysis of the provided documents and available public information reveals a compelling, and at times unnerving, duality.

The Audacious Promise: Earning While Helping

At its core, the KLiKA.ph model is built on an aggressive, front-loaded strategy. Influencers are tasked with populating the app with "paying registrants" during a one-month pre-selling phase. For every user who pays the one-time ₱1,000 fee, the influencer receives a substantial 40% endorsement fee. The agreement even includes a tiered bonus structure so extreme it seems pulled from a fantasy novel—an influencer who brings in one million users stands to earn over ₱420 million. The promise of "unlimited earning potential" for a "lifetime" is a powerful lure, designed to incite a sense of urgency and FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) among an influencer's audience. The app's mission is presented as a noble one: to "build a digital ecosystem where people are incentivized for helping others".

The business model is undeniably innovative, offering a hybrid structure that combines a direct sales approach with a vague philanthropic mission. It positions itself as a worthy investment for users by contrasting its one-time fee with the recurring monthly subscriptions of services like Netflix and Spotify.

The Shadowy Side: A Lack of Clarity and Potential Red Flags

Despite the compelling promises, a closer look at the agreement reveals significant gray areas and potential red flags that cast doubt on its intentions.

Is the “Helping” Genuine? The Unclear Philanthropic Model

While KLiKA.ph's tagline is "Earning While Helping," the documentation provides little detail on the "helping" aspect. The agreement states that 60% of the ₱1,000 registration fee goes to the company's "platform maintenance and general rewards pool". There is no explicit mention of a portion of this fee being allocated to charitable causes or beneficiaries. The "help" seems to be conceptual: helping to "populate the app" and helping to "promote a culture of giving". The actual mechanism for how a user's payment translates into a "donation" is not detailed. This is a critical omission, as a genuine philanthropic platform would typically be transparent about where funds are directed, such as to specific, legitimate, government-recognized partner beneficiaries.

Adding to this concern is the company's own legal structure. The agreement identifies the owner as "Consolidated Market Professionals Consultancy Corp." (ConMarkPro). While the company is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), this corporate name suggests a for-profit entity, not a non-stock, non-profit organization. In the Philippines, organizations formed for charitable or social welfare purposes are required to be registered as non-stock corporations, and their income cannot be distributed to private individuals or shareholders. The fact that KLiKA.ph is actively offering enormous earning potential to influencers raises a significant and justifiable question about its core identity: Is it a for-profit business leveraging philanthropic language to drive sales, or a legitimate mission where the charitable component is simply not disclosed in the marketing materials provided?   

The SEC Registration and Regulatory Scrutiny

The agreement mentions SEC Registration No. 2023080112977-05. A search of public records reveals that the Philippines SEC issues warnings against entities that are not authorized to solicit investments from the public. While the provided research does not show any specific SEC advisory issued against Consolidated Market Professionals Consultancy Corp. or KLiKA.ph, the company's business model falls into a gray area that has been a target of government warnings. Philippine authorities have repeatedly issued advisories against "online task reward scams" or "click-to-earn" schemes , which often promise high returns for simple tasks and require upfront payments or deposits to unlock earnings. While KLiKA.ph's model differs slightly, the resemblance is close enough that both influencers and users should proceed with extreme caution. The platform's commitment to "emphasize KLiKA's anti-scam measures" and provide "safe practices" acknowledges this public climate of wariness, suggesting the company is aware of the need to build trust in a skeptical market.   

The Influencer Agreement: A Double-Edged Sword

Beyond the mission, the contract itself presents a mixed bag of pros and cons for the influencer.

The Pros:

High Payout, Early On: The pre-selling phase is an unprecedented financial opportunity for top-tier influencers. The 40% commission and tiered bonuses are legitimately aggressive and rewarding for exceptional performance.

Standard Framework: The agreement correctly establishes an independent contractor relationship, which is a common and legally sound practice.

The Cons:

The Content Cage: KLiKA.ph reserves the right to "repost the content on its owned channels (website, social media) with credit". This broad clause is a significant red flag in the industry. It does not specify the duration or if the company can use the content for paid advertising without additional compensation, effectively granting KLiKA.ph a permanent, free license to the influencer's creative work.   

The Unclear Future: The profitability of the long-term "Full Launch Phase" is ambiguous. The shift to a 10% commission on "completed donations" is not clearly defined, leaving the influencer with a long-term earning model that is a mystery.

Vulnerability to Termination: The "at-will" termination clause, allowing either party to end the agreement "for any reason" at any time, creates a significant risk for influencers who invest time and resources only to have the partnership abruptly dissolved.

The Verdict: A Calculated Risk, Not a Certainty

KLiKA.ph is not a scam in the traditional sense, at least not based on the provided documents. The company is a legally registered entity with a clear, albeit ambitious, business plan. The agreement's intentions, however, are a complex tapestry of entrepreneurial ambition and philanthropic language. The app's profitability is abundantly clear for its creators, but the noble mission of "helping" remains a gray area that lacks a transparent, verifiable mechanism.

For an influencer, this is not a guaranteed golden ticket but a calculated, high-risk wager. The immense short-term financial incentive is a powerful draw, but it comes at the cost of giving away significant creative control and a clear long-term earning model. An influencer's decision to join KLiKA.ph must be a cold, hard business calculation, not an emotional one. They must weigh the seductive promise of millions against the reality of an unclear philanthropic mission, an undefined long-term payout, and a contract that places the burden of risk and legal compliance squarely on their shoulders.

In the end, while the intention of the agreement is to forge a partnership, its fairness and the app's genuine purpose hinge on what remains unsaid in its pages. For now, the verdict is that of the wise gambler: bet what you are willing to lose, and never confuse the promise of a reward with the certainty of a payout.

“Grease the Wheels or Get Crushed”: The Catechism of Corruption in Philippine Government Projects

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

In the Philippines, corruption is not a hidden disease—it is the bloodstream of governance. It seeps into every bid, every contract, every so-called “nation-building” project. Roads are paved not with cement but with bribes; flood control systems are built not to protect lives but to bankroll campaigns. The tragedy is not just that it happens, but that it has become normal—an unwritten catechism passed down like family tradition, repeated so often that even those who once resisted eventually learn to kneel before it.

I. Grease, Not Gravel

In the Philippines, securing government contracts isn’t just about infrastructure—it’s about infiltration, influence, and the invisible economy of corruption.

Senator Panfilo Lacson estimates that up to 60% of flood control project funds vanish into graft before any shovel hits the ground. What remains? Less than 40% is left for actual construction, forcing contractors to use substandard materials and ultimately costing lives. 

Public sentiment isn’t far behind. An opinion piece reveals that kickbacks ranging from 10% to 40% are common among officials—from congressmen to barangay leaders—further stalling development and siphoning public funds. 

At the macroeconomic level, corruption in the Philippines is estimated to divert 20% of the national budget—a staggering drain on resources that could otherwise drive growth and services. 

This isn’t about gravel or cement—it’s about grease.

II. The Cartel Runs Deep

Far from isolated, corruption is structural—a fully fleshed-out ecosystem with participants at every station.

The infamous World Bank-funded NRIMP-1 road project was found entirely corrupted, with US$30–45 million of a US$150 million loan lost to a cartel of bureaucrats and contractors. 

The Pork Barrel (PDAF) scam exposed how lawmakers—and business figures like Janet Lim-Napoles—hijacked billions of pesos meant for development. ₱10 billion diverted and sacred funds like Malampaya royalties exploited. 

Sink deeper into history: The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant remains a relic of crony capitalism. Originally estimated at US$500–700 million, its final cost soared to US$2.2 billion. Marcos and his crony Disini pocketed kickbacks—Marcos received US$80 million; eventually, Disini’s estate was ordered to pay damages exceeding ₱1 billion. 

Corruption isn’t an afterthought—it’s a blueprint woven tightly into governance.

III. Recent Storms: Flood Control and Failures

The bridges wash away—but the corruption stays.

Since 2024, the Marcos administration has been engulfed in scandal over flood control projects riddled with ghost contracts, monopolies, and phony permits. Some contractors cornered up to ₱100 billion worth of deals. 

Special hearings revealed widespread "ghost projects" in Bulacan and neighboring provinces. Wawao Builders, for example, reportedly snagged ₱9 billion in contracts despite questionable delivery. 

In one jaw-dropping case, a construction firm with only ₱250,000 in capital bagged ₱5 billion in flood control contracts—a glaring red flag reminiscent of the Pharmally scandal. 

Digital oversight was attempted: President Marcos launched “Sumbong sa Pangulo,” a portal allowing citizens to flag anomalies in flood control projects. 

The Commission on Audit responded with a fraud audit in Bulacan, after citizens used the platform to report irregularities. 

Still, not even half the budget intended for flood infrastructure is reaching the ground. Lacson highlighted that a whopping P1 trillion may have been siphoned off in flood control alone. 

IV. Social Learning, National Legacy

Corruption isn’t just a practice—it’s a curriculum.

Your words capture the generational transmission of tactics: “don’t be greedy,” “share the blessings,” “stay invisible,” passing lessons from one generation to the next.

Social learning theory frames this perfectly: corruption is learned through exposure, reinforcement, and imitation. The more normalized it becomes, the harder it is to uproot.

V. The Prison of the State

The iron fist of the corrupt state often shields its own. Aggressive institutions overshadow reform.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has been called the country’s “biggest criminal enterprise,” where overpricing and substandard implementation are infamous. 

The Management Association of the Philippines argues that graft isn’t fringe—it’s embedded in governance, sustained by patronage, fragile oversight, and social inequality. Without systemic overhaul, it thrives unchecked. 

VI. The Road to Reformation

Change isn’t just necessary—it’s urgent.

Reforms must be profound and structural:

Digitalize and automate governance: From procurement to submissions, e-governance reduces human discretion and abuse. 

Empower independent institutions: The COA, Ombudsman, and judiciary must be truly autonomous and equipped to enforce rules. 

Political reform: Break the dynastic chains. Campaign finance laws and anti-dynasty legislation must become real, not rhetoric. 

Radical transparency: Real-time, accessible publication of budgets, procurements, and asset declarations; implementation of the Freedom of Information law. 

Conclusion: A Forsaken Land—Yet Not Forever

Our closing lament echoes loudly: “God bless this forsaken land.” It shouldn't be wasted.

This is the crossroads: corruption has devoured billions, but its reign can end. The stakes? Lives, dignity, futures. The heroes? Every citizen refusing to be complicit—denying the catechism, demanding accountability, teaching a new narrative grounded in integrity.