To me, any degree or certificate is only as good as the value and impact one can create using all the skills and learnings they acquired during the process.

How do I know if I’m actually creating any value and impact? I validate it in two ways:

1. How well I contribute to the business of my employer.

2. How I help uplift people within my sphere of influence.

Which leads us to my post the other day on my Social Media profiles.

In the original post on Threads, @curiosettee’s replies validates #2 above:

Although I don't seek these types of testimonials, I admit it's good to receive them once in a while. They help remind myself that, yes, I'm still on the right track. That I'm still impacting people positively. That it's still worth it to keep going.

So yes, thank you @curiosettee for these very kind words! 🙏🙏🙏

On that note, I've been asked a couple of times why I'm building a newsletter in 2025. I know, I know, in this day and age, email newsletters are kind of archaic 😅, but they’re still one of the most effective ways of building a community. Here's a few more reasons:

1. It's also in line with my pursuit of continuously increasing the value and impact I provide to others.

2. For almost two decades, social media platforms have dictated how creators reach their audiences. And quite frankly, creators don’t own anything on these platforms. Social media is what’s called “borrowed audience”. At the whim of the platform, they can take the audience away, and there’s nothing the creator can do. It has happened a couple of times to me already on Facebook, even forcing me to painstakingly rebuild my page from scratch. Having a newsletter helps me take back some of the control over my audience.

3. In relation to that, both creators and audiences are at the mercy of social media algorithms. Creators can’t choose who ultimately gets to see the content they put out. And audiences can’t choose which content from the pages they follow actually show up on their feed. It’s not rare that you’ve probably missed some of my posts, especially important announcements (never mind the cringey memes 🤣).

4. Same goes for online communities/groups. Just recently, there reportedly was an incident on Facebook wherein some groups have been suspended due to an artificially generated spam attack. These things make me anxious, so I had to make sure several contingencies are in place for Tech Career Shifter Philippines, including the weekly newsletter.

5. The age of AI is here. One of the biggest problems I have with it is how it gobbles up all the content out there to train its algorithms, without any credit to the original authors. A newsletter that’s inaccessible to AI crawlers guards some of my intellectual property.

6. I quote myself from one of the recent issues of the newsletter:
   “I love writing, it's been a hobby of mine before the social media age. Lately, I had been feeling that my writing skills have regressed very badly since I started relying on AI. Forcing myself to write weekly for the newsletter is allowing me to exercise my creative muscles, even if that means writing this in the wee hours of a Monday morning.”

7. I’ve been pretty upfront with this since the beginnings of Kuya Dev and Tech Career Shifter PH: for me to be able to realistically sustain what I’m doing in the long run, I would have to find a way to monetize this without needing to make my followers pay for any of my content, and I firmly believe building a newsletter is one of the keys to that. Although social media platforms share some of the ad revenue with creators, it’s often just chump change, especially for a small niche such as mine. On the contrary, any ad placement on the newsletter goes directly to the creator. So if you really want to show your support for your favorite creators, sign up for their newsletters!

If you support what I’m doing… If you believe in what Kuya Dev stands for… Please do sign up for the newsletter and spread the word about it! It would mean the world to me. 🙏 Every new subscriber brings Kuya Dev to financial viability, which allows us to grow our impact even further, the same impact people like @curiosettee believe we’re making. A huge thanks to all of you in advance!

P.S. I want to make the newsletter as valuable to you as possible. So if you have any ideas or suggestions that could make it better, please do let me know. Thanks, I really appreciate it!

P.P.S. If you or your company wants to sponsor the newsletter, by all means, let’s connect.

What started as a planned 2-week project turned into a 5-day sprint thanks to some help from AI tools through vibe coding. The final app lets you move a cursor by turning your head while your lips are puckered - a uniquely Filipino interaction translated into code.

Key highlights:

• Built with TypeScript and modern browser features

• Uses Google's MediaPipe for facial recognition

• Open source and available to try online

• Mobile-friendly implementation

• Adjustable sensitivity for different users

This fun experiment showcases how cultural elements can inspire tech projects while demonstrating modern web capabilities and AI-assisted development.

Full Video

Transcript

00:00-00:34 and here it is when I lower my face and it's pout the ball follows to turn on and turn off the facial recognition mesh it will be more fun without mesh I can really see the face how the ball follows what my heart is teaching So good!

00:35-00:52 I gave myself a challenge We will create a meme application during the whole Christmas break So I only have less than 2 weeks to create this Of course, there are days when we can't do it because it's Christmas, right?

00:52-00:57 There's Medianoche, Nochebuena, so less than two weeks.

00:57-00:59 But what do we need to learn first?

01:00-01:03 It's an application to control the mouse using Filipino gestures.

01:04-01:18 You know, Filipinos, when we're asked where this thing is, where the church is, for example, or where the mall is, we Filipinos, how do we teach? Using our lips.

01:18-01:22 So, we're teaching like that, right?

01:22-01:31 I thought that I could use that to actually create an application to control the mouse using the lips.

01:33-01:37 I hope we can do it. But first, we have to research.

01:38-01:43 I need to find out first, because I'm using a MacBook, if it can do it on MacBook.

01:44-01:47 Because the MacOS is a bit limited in terms of permissions.

01:48-01:51 So, it's not easy to control things in Mac.

01:51-01:54 And you still need to compile using Xcode.

01:55-01:55 So, hopefully, you can.

01:56-02:02 But if not, I have my backup laptop that's running Linux using Pop!OS.

02:03-02:05 So, maybe that's where I'll do it.

02:05-02:08 But let's first research if it's possible in Mac.

02:09-02:11 Secondly, is it possible in Python?

02:11-02:14 And of course, I don't want to build this from scratch.

02:14-02:20 We need to find similar projects or maybe we can make something similar.

02:22-02:35 Or maybe we can find similar applications or repositories that can be used in terms of facial recognition or hand gestures that we can modify to get what we want.

02:36-02:38 We have a lot of research to do today.

02:39-02:43 This is currently Sunday, December 22.

02:44-02:44 Wish me luck!

02:47-02:48 Okay, good news!

02:50-02:53 I'm looking for a library that we can use to actually do this.

02:54-02:57 Not in Python, but in JavaScript.

02:58-03:03 That changes the application a lot because I don't need to build a native application in the OS.

03:03-03:09 Instead, I'm now planning to build this as a web application.

03:10-03:19 And that way, it will be accessible to everyone on the internet, those who can access that website, instead of having to install it on their computers.

03:20-03:26 A huge downside of that is that originally, the plan is to actually control the mouse, right?

03:26-03:29 Which is an operating system function.

03:30-03:32 So we can't do it through a web application.

03:32-03:39 Instead, we will just create a cursor in our web application that we can control using the lips.

03:40-03:50 It's easier in a sense and we don't need to wrestle with the permissions of macOS and even Linux, right?

03:50-04:02 So, that's a waste. Now that I have my Linux laptop, I'm upgrading the system76 popOS OS, I won't be using it.

04:02-04:07 This is actually a faster way. I think this can be done in less than two weeks.

04:08-04:09 Even a week, hopefully.

04:10-04:13 I might underestimate the work that will be done. But it's a good start.

04:14-04:20 So, yeah. I will dive more into this. I'll start my repository. I'll build it.

04:20-04:26 And I will dive into the documentation of handsfree.js, which is the library that I'll be using.

04:39-04:44 So this is the demo of our initial version of our app.

04:45-04:52 It's simple actually. I didn't use any frontend framework.

04:52-04:57 We just used a simple HTML canvas.

04:58-05:02 Inside, we added a small ball of red color.

05:03-05:11 And at least for this initial version, the ball will just follow our mouse pointer.

05:12-05:16 So, there's a boundary, of course, it can't go out of the HTML canvas.

05:16-05:18 So, if the mouse goes over there, it's gone, it can't be followed.

05:19-05:25 But if it's inside the canvas, it will follow the mouse movement.

05:26-05:45 So, the next stage or the next step that we would need to do here is to actually wire up the facial recognition, one, and to attach that facial recognition, depending on where the user is facing, the ball should follow that.

05:46-05:49 If we are looking to the left, it should go to the left.

05:50-05:52 If we are looking to the right, it should go to the right.

05:53-05:55 And so on and so forth.

05:55-05:58 So, there. We now have an initial application.

05:59-06:00 The same logic only.

06:00-06:16 Music Okay, progress. Time check, 11:23 PM.

06:17-06:19 It's still December 22nd, right?

06:19-06:23 So, we're here. Our progress is huge.

06:24-06:55 We used a different library, instead of the one we mentioned earlier, handsfree.js I decided to use a library that Google provides The Google AI team They call it MediaPipe And here it is The face recognition is built-in And the landmarks that we need to measure The movement of the face So, what will happen now is we will change what we were thinking earlier.

06:56-07:09 So, instead of using the lips to actually signal where we are facing, where the ball is going, what we will do instead is use the nose.

07:12-07:51 So, it's easier because we only use one point on the nose, then, wherever we are facing, the ball will go there but, the ball will move when the lips are in the pouch even if we move our face, the ball should not move when the lips are not in the pouch but when the lips are in the pouch, we move like this like this the ball should move So, that's what we're going to do next.

07:51-08:01 Here it is. We've already got it. We've already detected the facial features, the landmarks on the face using Google's library.

08:03-08:06 Then, here it is. We're also showing it on the webcam.

08:07-08:15 What's left now is to do that computation for the ball to actually move in accordance to our face.

08:15-08:23 If we're wearing a coat and our nose moves according to the whole head.

08:24-08:29 So exciting. It's night already so we'll stop here and continue tomorrow.

08:29-08:40 When I was trying to break into tech, I had no roadmap, no mentor, and no idea if career shifting was even realistically possible.

08:41-08:49 I fumbled through it, made all the mistakes because I didn't have anyone to guide me.

08:50-09:09 Looking back, I wish someone had just said, "Here's what's happening, here's what to watch out for, and here's how to move forward." That's why I started Tech Roundup PH, my free weekly newsletter for aspiring Filipino techies and career shifters.

09:09-09:21 Every week, I break down what's happening in the Philippine tech scene, answer questions from subscribers, and share the kind of advice I wish I had when I was starting out.

09:21-09:24 Think of it as your weekly dose of mentorship.

09:25-09:32 And if you're into events, I've got you covered with a curated list of tech meetups and happenings around the country.

09:34-09:35 No more missing out.

09:36-09:39 Ready to grow your tech journey with a little help from Kuya Dev?

09:40-10:11 Sign up now at kuyadev.com/newsletter Alright, let's get back to the video Day 2, so we have a lot of progress yesterday We will just continue today, hopefully we will finish today We have a lot of walks later So I'm really hoping that before our walks, it's okay, something is working Then I will just plan it But before I proceed, I forgot to mention yesterday that our process was probably faster.

10:12-10:17 I was expecting this to take around two weeks of development.

10:18-10:20 But it was only the first day and I had a lot of work to do.

10:20-10:21 There was a lot of progress.

10:22-10:23 And that's just a few hours.

10:24-10:26 The secret is that I'm not a genius.

10:27-10:28 I'm not like that.

10:28-10:30 I use chat GPT. I use AI.

10:31-10:32 Admittedly.

10:32-10:39 But I didn't use it to copy-paste things. I used it for someone to talk to, to exchange ideas.

10:40-10:49 So I used ChatGPT to solidify the idea of the application I'm building and how to approach it.

10:49-11:10 During that conversation, when I realized that I can use the tongue as a point of reference, where the user is looking at the face instead of using the lips which would be more complicated because the lips move. The nose is not that much, it's just constant in relation to your face.

11:11-11:16 So instead of using the lips, we're using the nose as a point of reference where the user is looking.

11:17-11:25 Then the lips, he will just use it to actually measure if the lips of the user are like that.

11:25-11:31 So, it's really hard. If ChatGPT wasn't there, maybe I could have figured it out much later.

11:34-11:39 And it also gave some codes, of course. That's how ChatGPT is usually.

11:39-11:46 It gives the code, but the code is outdated. The library it used is actually old.

11:46-11:58 So, it gave me an idea that, "Oh, Google has this." So I did my research outside of ChatGPT, when I saw that Google has updated libraries that you can use.

11:59-12:07 And I ran into some problems using the updated or latest version of Google AI's library.

12:08-12:15 So apparently, their new version has some problems. I'm not sure what happened.

12:15-12:18 I don't like the drawing, I got some errors.

12:19-12:27 So I tried downgrading the version, one version lower, one version lower, one version lower, until I got the answer.

12:28-12:31 So this version works for my particular use case.

12:31-12:42 But I did that on my own, I didn't use ChatGPT because I think it doesn't have the latest versions of that software or library.

12:43-12:45 So I had to figure that out myself.

12:46-12:48 Fortunately, I have experience with this kind of thing.

12:49-12:57 There are times when there are open source libraries that if you get the latest version, it's usually broken.

12:57-13:02 So you have to go back a few versions to get the library that's okay.

13:03-13:06 So that's it. Let's go back to building the application.

13:15-14:14 support and my left corner of the lip so you can see the distance between them and you can see if the person is poking like this like that so you need to measure that how far is he closer more probable that the user is poking or kissing so we need to account the tilt of the head and also my distance from the camera.

14:15-14:19 So we need to account for all of these.

14:19-14:28 So it's hard to compute that without having a relative point of reference that doesn't change.

14:29-14:32 Unfortunately, people's faces are different.

14:32-14:38 There's no same size of lips, there's no same size of nose and eyes.

14:39-14:46 So I needed to figure out a good algorithm to make this a bit accurate.

14:47-14:58 So now, if you look at it, when I move away from the camera and get closer, the distance just hovered around 0.05-0.06-0.04.

15:00-15:05 It didn't happen before that it fluctuated wildly, the first iterations of the algorithm.

15:06-15:07 So now, it's a bit more stable.

15:09-15:14 So, if I've just pucker, you can see that I've just pucker on the console log.

15:18-15:20 There, it's already detected.

15:22-15:30 So, the next step is for me to implement the movement of the ball on top.

15:30-15:32 We're almost there, just a little more.

15:37-15:44 It's the day before Christmas and time check around 5:30 p.m.

15:45-15:47 Our project is almost done.

15:49-15:57 The puckering is working, the movement of the dot on our canvas is okay.

15:57-16:01 It's following the movement of the mouth and the face.

16:01-16:06 So, what I will do is to actually clean up everything.

16:07-16:13 I will put a button to disable the mesh that comes out of the user's face.

16:14-16:16 So that we can see, right? It's like a body, huh?

16:16-16:22 The user is moving like that and the dot is moving too.

16:23-16:24 So, it's just a little bit. I will just put it.

16:26-16:30 Then, maybe it will take a while to show and hide the webcam.

16:31-17:41 Whatever, whatever we'll get there I'm actually thinking if I will go further to develop a full application around it but maybe not anymore because my goal at the beginning was to build this to build an application that follows the dot where the heart is pointing so we achieved that So maybe in the next vacation or break, we can develop into something more An application or I don't know maybe a game? Not sure So we can't do that now because the day before Christmas, we will have to celebrate with my wife and tomorrow is Christmas day so there's no time to add more code to the application so maybe on the 26th, on the 2nd so I'll see you guys on the 2nd, on the 26th Bye!

17:42-17:49 One eternity later Date check, it's September 28th.

17:50-17:54 And I didn't do anything for the whole week. I didn't procrastinate.

17:55-17:59 And again, today is Saturday. I'm tired.

18:01-18:07 And Mysis is repacking rice for the whole week.

18:08-18:11 And Squid Game has also been released.

18:11-18:12 Season 2.

18:13-18:15 So here we go again, time to eat.

18:16-18:21 I'm hoping that I can add a little bit of coding later tonight.

18:22-18:24 Because that's just a little bit, I'll just add the buttons.

18:25-18:26 No promises though.

18:27-18:27 Yeah.

18:29-18:30 So wish me luck.

18:31-18:32 So we're in episode what?

18:33-18:33 Four?

18:33-18:33 Four.

18:34-18:35 Episode four of Squid Games.

18:36-18:40 And we'll watch that first and then I'll try to make it.

18:40-19:41 I'm so lazy right now, right? It's 4:30pm No, the sun is almost up Yeah, I haven't done anything for the day in the previous few days But yeah, I hope we can do something today Today is December 30 It is J-RIS Day And our plan didn't work out We finished the project last saturday because we finished Squid Games and it wasn't as good i think as season one but they made it into two seasons so it will be season two and season three and next year is season three but anyway again this is december 30 two days after yesterday my wife and i went to Manila to eat black watcha so i didn't have time yesterday but today i I actually finished it! Yay!

19:42-19:43 I finished it too.

19:44-19:44 It's here.

19:45-19:46 Let me show you.

19:49-19:56 And here is the final product, at least the version 1 of our Pinoy Gesture, facial recognition application.

19:57-19:58 And here it is.

19:59-20:07 When I close my eyes and put my hand on my face, the ball follows.

20:07-20:35 I also turned on and turned off the facial recognition mesh It's more fun without the mesh You can really see how the ball is following the direction of my head Sobrang galing!

20:36-20:40 And here, gumawa rin tayo ng parang threshold na slider.

20:41-20:48 Kasi hindi naman pare-pareho yung shape ng mga lips ng mga tao, pati yung size ng lips natin.

20:49-20:50 So, kailangan i-adjust siya.

20:51-20:53 Depende dun sa gumagamit, no?

20:53-21:01 I can't really predict kung ano yung size ng lips ng tao, so kayo nang bahala rito, no?

21:02-21:04 And this is now live!

21:04-21:08 I published it using GitHub, the GitHub pages.

21:09-21:17 And you will get or access the application using the link that I'll provide in the description box.

21:18-21:20 I'll just put it in the description if you want the link.

21:21-21:22 Go to this application.

21:23-21:29 I hope you'll enjoy playing and I hope you'll get a little laugh from it.

21:29-21:35 So allow me to explain my learnings during this journey.

21:35-21:47 But before that, I want to thank, shoutout to Joff Tiques of Open Source Software Philippines for sending me this package.

21:48-21:52 Inside, we have a t-shirt. It's a nice t-shirt. I want to wear it.

21:54-22:01 This one, LGTM from OSSPH.org So, thank you!

22:01-22:24 And there are other goodies here Actually, a notebook And of course, the bag So, thank you, Geoff And the rest of Open Source Software Philippines So, let's go back to what we were talking about What are my learnings in this project.

22:25-22:31 Of course, there are a lot of them because this is a facial recognition software that I did for the first time.

22:32-22:41 But despite that, with the use of AI, I was able to build this in much less time than I was expecting.

22:41-22:43 So I expected it to be two weeks long.

22:44-22:50 But with the use of AI, I was able to do it in just what? Less than five days.

22:51-23:08 And that's really amazing It allows me now to actually work on other stuff like celebrating Christmas, celebrating the New Year, going like yesterday, going on a trip to Intramuros. It saves me a lot of time.

23:09-23:16 And I think that's where AI really excels at, in helping us save a lot of time.

23:17-23:34 take back the time that would have otherwise been wasted working or debugging on a project that, "He's going to help us, he can help us, we can speed up the process." But still, the idea came from me.

23:35-23:38 The AI won't think for us to make those ideas.

23:39-23:44 But the conversation with the AI can be a way to polish your idea.

23:44-23:46 And that's where it really helped me.

23:46-23:51 Because I had this idea to use my lips that's like Pinoy, right?

23:51-23:56 To use the Pinoy gesture to move a certain object on the screen.

23:56-24:00 And with the help of AI, I was able to polish the algorithm.

24:01-24:06 Because my idea was that the only thing that would be a "bata" in movement is lips.

24:08-24:10 And it turned out I could use just the nose.

24:10-24:14 Because when I mentioned it in previous days, It's just like that. It's just the nose.

24:14-24:18 Because it's fixed in its position relative to the whole face.

24:19-24:21 Versus, for example, the lips that move a bit.

24:23-24:25 It moves like this.

24:25-24:33 That's a huge thing because it helped decrease the amount of time for me to have figured that out.

24:34-24:34 If AI wasn't there.

24:35-24:37 I would have figured it out. Probably.

24:38-24:41 Without AI, but I might have gotten a little bit of a shock before I got it.

24:41-24:49 Another learning here is modern browsers are so good because before, you still need a javascript bundler.

24:50-24:54 I used typescript here. I built this project with typescript.

24:55-24:59 Before, you would have to transform typescript into javascript.

25:00-25:05 In addition to that, you would have to compile everything into one javascript file.

25:05-25:38 because the older browsers can't load the JavaScript in pieces the files are separated, they need to be in one file only Modern browsers now can allow to import JavaScript files dynamically without having to use one file which means, the files are separated, you can upload those files As is, if there are some files in my repository, some of my JavaScript files, some modules, that's what it uploads.

25:39-25:41 Then, that's what it imports from the HTML file.

25:41-25:59 And then, when I have index.js, it imports index.js, it imports app.js, and app.js, it imports it in the rest of my JavaScript files that came from TypeScript, transpiled from TypeScript, then it imports it automatically from my JavaScript files.

26:00-26:00 It's really good!

26:02-26:06 Although it's only available for modern internet browsers.

26:07-26:08 I think it's been around since 2020.

26:10-26:14 I think almost all modern browsers can do this.

26:15-26:19 And I tried it on my iPhone 12 mini.

26:20-26:21 It has Safari.

26:22-26:23 I use Safari.

26:23-26:24 It's one of the latest technologies to adopt.

26:27-26:30 So even using Safari on mobile, it worked.

26:30-26:36 It was a bit weird because I didn't optimize it for mobile usage, but it was still working.

26:37-26:43 The mesh was a bit weird because it stretched, but still, it was working well.

26:43-26:58 And another thing that surprised me is, although I gave it a poker threshold here, The accuracy is really good in terms of following the ball in the movement of my face and the puckering threshold of my lips.

26:59-27:11 So the 0.04 that you will see set by default in the application is I think the average threshold for most people.

27:12-27:14 So just adjust it if it doesn't fit you.

27:15-27:21 You will see that if you increase the threshold, even if you are smiling like this, the ball will follow.

27:22-27:24 It's up to you to play with it.

27:24-27:28 Again, this is available online now via GitHub pages. The link is on the description.

27:29-27:32 And it's also usable using your mobile device.

27:33-27:36 And the code is open source.

27:37-27:45 Because Open Source Software Philippines gave us a goodie bag, we will give back to the community.

27:46-27:47 I've open sourced the code.

27:48-27:50 It is free for everyone to look at.

27:51-27:52 See how I did it.

27:53-27:53 Look at the algorithm.

27:55-27:56 And try to understand.

27:57-28:09 Another thing that maybe I can share you in this experience is when you build a project for your portfolio, It doesn't have to be something that's actually huge.

28:09-28:13 It would be better if it has real-world value.

28:13-28:16 I mean, it's actually solving a problem.

28:16-28:18 But this, it's like, it's nothing, right?

28:18-28:22 It's just something that I feel is fun for me.

28:22-28:28 I've learned a lot and I feel like other people will learn a lot here, especially since the project is open source.

28:29-28:36 If you're building a project for your portfolio like this, I don't know if I would pursue being an AI professional someday.

28:36-28:39 Not sure. I have no plans currently.

28:39-28:46 But in the future, if I need a portfolio as an AI engineer, as an aspiring AI engineer, I can use this.

28:47-28:54 I can create a simple project using AI or facial recognition.

28:55-28:57 So this would be useful for my portfolio.

28:58-29:02 So, even if it doesn't have real-world value, it's okay.

29:03-29:04 It's fun. It's just something you would enjoy.

29:05-29:12 And lastly, this is very important, especially for new developers, is to never reinvent the wheel.

29:13-29:17 There are many libraries and projects that were made there.

29:18-29:26 Like what I did, look for open source projects or open source libraries that you can use to achieve what you're trying to do.

29:27-29:41 Like for me, I know there are projects that enable facial recognition and the recognition of landmarks on the face.

29:41-29:44 I don't need to do that on my own.

29:44-30:24 I don't need to build an AI model or machine learning model and then train myself, look for data and all that jazz that I will reach the end of this project because all I just wanted was to create a simple application to follow my face that's all so yes, I could have done it myself I could have tried to learn how to build a facial recognition model and train that if that's what I want to learn What I wanted to explore here is, could I do this within a span of two weeks?

30:24-30:33 Can I create this meme of an app in just a set amount of time or less?

30:34-30:36 So I was able to prove that I can do it.

30:37-30:40 And there, I have a project that I can put in my portfolio.

30:40-30:43 Thank you for watching and I'll see you on the next project.

30:44-30:44 Bye!

Set to take place on March 29, 2025, this much-anticipated event will be held in partnership with Life Academy International College, a supporter of technological advancement and lifelong learning, at their state-of-the-art campus in Pasig City. The event is expected to bring together an even larger gathering of tech professionals, aspiring talents, industry leaders, and recruiters.

A Strategic Partnership with Life Academy International College

Founded by Gen Z entrepreneurs Ritch Traballo, Justin Wee, and Gabriel Fordan, the Philippine Tech Career Fest is NexHire’s flagship initiative dedicated to bridging talent and opportunity in the tech ecosystem. “At NexHire, we believe that access to the right knowledge and networks is key to unlocking career opportunities in tech—but this can only happen within the right ecosystem,” said Justin Wee, Chief Operations Officer at NexHire. “That’s why we’re thrilled to partner with Life Academy International College, an institution that shares our commitment to technology-driven learning and career growth.” Life Academy International College is a global innovative learning institution dedicated to developing holistically formed, Christ-like servant-leaders who strive to make a positive impact. By equipping students with future-ready skills and fostering lifelong learning, Life Academy International College is pioneering the growth of the next generation of digital talents and entrepreneurs continues to drive innovation and empower individuals in the ever-evolving tech industry. (Learn more)

Advancing Filipino Tech Careers

The Philippine Tech Career Fest empowers Filipinos to upskill, connect, and thrive in emerging tech sectors. Attendees can expect inspiring keynotes, hands-on workshops, networking, and career sessions led by industry experts. New this year are Industry Pavilions, offering direct access to top companies in Fintech, Healthtech, BPO, and Emerging Tech. Explore innovations, engage with leaders, and discover career opportunities in high-growth fields.

Don’t miss out on this transformative day dedicated to advancing Filipino tech careers. Register now and secure your spot for the Philippine Tech Career Fest on March 29, 2025.

The concept of "data colonialism," as coined by Ulysses Meyers and Nick Caldry in their book "Data Grab," mirrors the four stages of historical colonialism: explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate. While the methods have changed, the underlying power dynamic remains eerily similar. Big tech companies, often operating under the guise of convenience and connection, amass vast quantities of personal data – our digital lives – and use this data for profit, often without our full understanding or consent.

My TEDx talk highlighted several crucial concerns. The narratives used to justify data collection – that everyone wants an easier life, that it's the only way to connect, and that AI is superior – often overshadow the ethical complexities involved. The overhyping of AI capabilities and the potential for algorithmic bias, leading to discrimination in various areas like recruitment and law enforcement, were also addressed. The environmental cost of data centers and the exploitation of low-wage workers in developing countries labeling massive datasets are further troubling aspects.

While we can't simply abandon technology, we can actively resist data colonialism. My talk proposed several actionable steps: lowering unrealistic expectations of AI, challenging dominant narratives, taking regular social media detoxes, supporting open-source AI initiatives, and scrutinizing the actions of big tech companies. The future hinges on our ability to engage in thoughtful dialogue, develop creative solutions, and build a more equitable and sustainable digital world.

The full video and the full original transcript of my TEDx talk are available below.

Full Video

Original Speech Transcript

June 12, 1898: We were supposed to cease being a colony of a foreign country. But instead, a new emerging empire replaced an old crumbling one.

July 4, 1946: The US finally recognized our independence.

Did colonialism end that day? Maybe. But people like UP Professor Eduardo Tadem argue, resources are being siphoned from provincial areas like Mindanao for the benefit of Metro Manila, in what’s called “Internal Colonialism”. As the new world order evolved, so did colonialism.

And it's still evolving. With breakthroughs in web, mobile, IoT, and AI, a new form of colonialism has emerged. In the book “The Costs of Connection”, authors Ulises Mejias and Nick Couldry called this “Data Colonialism”.

To understand this, we need to use the Four X Colonial Formula they introduced in their other book “Data Grab”. These are Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate.

Historical Colonialism explored new land to grab; built and expanded colonies on these conquered lands; exploited their resources to enrich their empires; and exterminated using economic monopoly, oppression, and mass murder.

Meanwhile, Data Colonialism explores virtual human lives to control; expands by building digital colonies around them; exploits through large scale data extraction from these colonies, turning them into profits for Big Tech; and exterminates through monopolistic and anti-competitive behavior, and destruction of social values and culture. Well, at least data colonialism doesn’t need to resort to violence anymore, since we’re already providing our consent by agreeing to Terms & Conditions that NO ONE READS.

When I hear of colonies, I think of walled cities like Intramuros in Manila and Fort San Pedro in Cebu. Or vast haciendas of rice, sugar, and tobacco tilled by underpaid farmers. On the contrary, data colonies are more personal, and always with us, unbounded by land borders. They range from smartphones to laptops to smart home devices to software that run on them.

But the idea remains the same, a data colony is designed to efficiently extract data from the digital territory to build wealth and power for the elite few, who claim the data is just “there and free for the taking”.

Weirdly, colonizers have a need to justify their actions. While historical colonialism claimed it had the legal, religious, and scientific obligation to subjugate, exploit, and oppress, data colonialism has a set of three narratives, as observed by Mejias and Couldry:

First, everyone wants an easier life. Second, this is how we connect. Lastly, AI is smarter than humans.

It is in our best interest to not accept these narratives at face value, no matter how true they may seem.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said that children should not learn how to code anymore. It’s a dangerous statement, as I believe coding and computer science will always be relevant. Note that Tech CEOs like him have the most to gain from the “success” of AI. After all, Nvidia is the world’s leading manufacturer of AI chips.

Sam Altman, CEO of the company behind ChatGPT, was quoted in the book “Our AI Journey”, saying that AI will replace 95% of marketing and creative work. We must take that with a grain of salt, since CEOs need to sell their company’s value so that more investments and consumer interest will flow in, or in other words “marketing”.

Worse, some companies overhype and even fake presentations of their AI products. Google received backlash for their faked Gemini presentation last December 2023. Then in March 2024, startup Cognition Labs unveiled Devin AI, claiming that it's the world’s first AI software engineer. This caused fear among software developers, only for the company to admit that Devin is “new and far from perfect”, and that the demo video was just a “technical preview”. A month later, Crunchbase reported that they raised $175M in funding at a whopping $2B valuation.

I’ve always thought that as long as I benefit from apps and devices, why should I care about my data? Turns out, I really should.

Social media algorithms cause filter bubbles, the digital equivalent of echo chambers. This was evident in the few recent Philippine elections, and the spread of disinformation. And need I remind you of Cambridge Analytica?

The book “Naked Statistics” emphasized how context matters almost as much as the data itself. But AI poses the risk of extracting patterns from out-of-context knowledge. This is bad because the world from which its data is collected is full of bias and prejudice. Without context, especially if left unchecked, it may lead to dire consequences like algorithmic discrimination.

In 2018, for instance, Amazon abandoned a secret AI recruiting tool because of its bias against women. In 2020, a man was arrested in Detroit because he was wrongfully identified by facial recognition software as a robbery suspect. Let’s not even go into China’s plan to export its AI surveillance state.

If those aren't alarming, how about AI’s effect on the environment?

Goldman Sachs analysts found that one ChatGPT query consumes as much energy as an hour of a 5-watt LED light. According to Boston Consulting Group, data center demand in the US alone is expected to grow to 130GW in 2030. That’s eight times the peak demand of the whole Philippines in 2023, recorded by NGCP at 17GW.

In 2019, University of Massachusetts researchers found that training an AI model can emit around 5 times the carbon emissions of a car in its whole lifetime. Since the study, these AI large language models have grown to insane levels, giving birth to chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini.

Additionally, a study by Universities of California Riverside and Texas Arlington claims that AI will withdraw 6.6B cubic meters of water yearly by 2027 just to cool down Data Centers, where AI is trained. Training ChatGPT alone consumes around 700 thousand liters of water. Every 10-50 ChatGPT prompts consume an equivalent of a 16 ounce bottle of water.

Meanwhile, workers from emerging economies are being paid as low as 20 pesos an hour to label huge amounts of data for services like Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. AI ethicist Dominic Ligot calls these “digital sweatshops”. Interesting choice for a name, by the way, since a mechanical turk is an 18th century chess-playing robot, which was proven to be a hoax.

University of Sheffield’s Clive Humby famously said that “Data is the New Oil.” Why then are we giving it away for free? But how can we resist Data Colonialism? Should we quit social media or throw our phones away? Of course not.

This is a complex problem. No one has all the answers. We must rely on our ability to come up with creative and novel solutions. But these won’t come out unless we start having these conversations. That said, let me suggest some ways to fight back.

First, we must tone down our expectations of AI. We fear what we don’t understand. If you can, try to understand the algorithms behind them. Allow me to offer my oversimplification: AI is a superpowered statistical prediction tool.

Second, we must realize that the West and Big Tech don’t have a monopoly on ideas on how we should live our lives. We all have a stake in forming the narratives.

Third, occasionally go on a social media detox.

Fourth, support open source data and AI initiatives.

Fifth, let’s make a habit of scrutinizing Big Tech. Between Facebook obsessing with the Metaverse and Smart Glasses, Google killing its plans to remove tracking cookies from Chrome, Microsoft’s AI-powered search tool tracking user activity on Windows including passwords, and Elon Musk’s AI model training on public tweets... Do we really buy the narrative that these are all for our own good? Or are these new data colonies they're forcing on us?

Lastly, let’s demand for better cybersecurity and privacy policies.

Despite all I've said, I still have high hopes for responsible and sustainable AI. There is a lot of ongoing research on the use of AI for detecting cancer, battling wildfires, preventing deforestation, and saving endangered animals. There’s plenty of good that AI can bring into the world, but generating creepy AI art is not it. Destroying our environment is not it. Widening global inequality and inequity is not it.

Ah, before I end, I just want to say that… No, this talk is not AI-generated.

Thank you, TEDx. And daghang salamat, Davao!

Tune in on your favorite podcast platform or use the links below.

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https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kuyadev/episodes/Insights-from-a-Tech-Career-Shifter--The-Future-of-Tech-in-the-AI-Era-Part-2-of-2--S06E12-e2tgrnt

JC’s story is one of resilience, adaptability, and self-discovery. He shares his journey of leaving a familiar path, learning new skills, and finding success in a career he’s passionate about.

In our conversation, we explore:

• JC’s motivations for entering the tech industry

• The biggest challenges he faced during his career shift

• How mentorship and community helped him thrive

• Practical advice for anyone looking to pivot into a new field

Whether you're considering a career shift or just curious about the human stories behind breaking into tech, this episode offers plenty of inspiration and actionable insights to fuel your journey.

🎧 Listen now to uncover JC’s powerful story and practical advice for making bold career moves.

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https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kuyadev/episodes/Breaking-Barriers-JCs-Inspiring-Career-Shift-into-Tech-Part-1-of-2--S06E11-e2t8vje

Tune in now to the Kuya Dev Podcast Season 6 Episode 10 on your favorite podcast platform. Or you may play the episode below.

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https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kuyadev/episodes/S06E10--Is-the-Backer-System-in-Tech-Actually-Bad-e2svmk9

This podcast episode unpacks the myth of experience requirements, arguing that demonstrable skills are key. Kuya Dev shares practical, actionable strategies to build a compelling portfolio and prove your worth:

• Freelancing: Earn money and gain real-world experience.

• Volunteering: Contribute to non-profit organizations.

• Open Source Contributions: Start with documentation, build relationships with maintainers, and potentially land a job.

• Building in Public: Document your learning journey (videos, blogs, tweets) to showcase your progress and build a following.

• Killer Side Projects: Go beyond typical tutorials. Solve a personal problem; open-source your solution for maximum impact! (Kuya Dev shares his story of a Facebook video speed controller extension!)

The takeaway? Stop letting "experience required" discourage you. With creativity and the right approach, you can showcase your skills and land your first tech job.

Tune in now to the Kuya Dev Podcast Season 6 Episode 9 on your favorite podcast platform. Or you may play the episode below.

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https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kuyadev/episodes/S06E09--Cracking-the-Code-How-to-Get-a-Tech-Job-Without-the-Experience-e2somuv

Tune in now to the Kuya Dev Podcast Season 6 Episode 8 on your favorite podcast platform. Or you may play the episode below.

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https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kuyadev/episodes/S06E08--From-Swimming-to-Software-How-Feedback-Fuels-My-and-Your--Tech-Success-e2sehmi

Tune in now to the Kuya Dev Podcast Season 6 Episode 7 on your favorite podcast platform. Or you may play the episode below.

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https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kuyadev/episodes/S06E07--Why-Your-Programming-Skills-Arent-Enough-Even-If-Youre-a-Great-Developer-e2s6qn3

Connect with Faith:

Project Neo (Mentorship Platform) - https://projectneo.dev

HiWebDev - https://hiwebdev.com

Tune in now to the Kuya Dev Podcast Season 6 Episode 6 on your favorite podcast platform. Or you may play the episode below.

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https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kuyadev/episodes/S06E06--Faith-Morante-Filipina-Dev-in-Canada-Offers-LIFE-CHANGING-Mentorship--Part-2-of-2-e2rsfkk

Connect with Faith:

Project Neo (Mentorship Platform) - https://projectneo.dev

HiWebDev - https://hiwebdev.com

Tune in now to the Kuya Dev Podcast Season 6 Episode 5 on your favorite podcast platform. Or you may play the episode below.

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https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kuyadev/episodes/S06E05--Faith-Morante-From-Pre-School-Teacher-in-the-Philippines-to-Web-Developer-in-Canada--Part-1-of-2-e2rkj11

Available on your favorite podcast platform. You may also tune in on the episode below.

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https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kuyadev/episodes/S06E04--DO-Senior-Developers-REALLY-Have-Time-to-Mentor-Juniors-e2r6ssh

Tune in now to the Kuya Dev Podcast Season 6 Episode 3 on your favorite podcast platform. Or you may play the episode below.

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https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kuyadev/episodes/S06E03--Is-the-JUNIOR-Full-Stack-Developer-a-Myth-e2qu5eu

If you weren’t able to attend, here’s the replay.

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Tune in now to the Kuya Dev Podcast Season 6 Episode 2 on your favorite podcast platform. Or you may play the episode below.

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https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kuyadev/episodes/S06E02--There-Is-No-Shame-in-Aiming-High-e2qjcbs

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https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kuyadev/episodes/S06E01--Should-Programmers-Learn-to-Communicate-e2qcqdf

Ever wonder how a typical Friday for me goes?

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