27/07/2026
DEPDEV-10 TO STAGE 2026 PRESIDENTIAL FILIPINO INNOVATION AWARDS MINDANAO COMPETITION IN OZAMIZ CITY
via Bhal Abad Cabrera | July 27, 2026
OZAMIZ CITY, Misamis Occidental — The Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) Regional Office 10, serving as the 2026 Presidential Filipino Innovation Awards (PFA) Mindanao Subnational Secretariat, will stage the 2026 PFA Mindanao Subnational Competition on July 29, 2026, at Aya Hotel and Residences in Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental.
While DEPDev Regional Office 10 is the lead organizer and host of the Mindanao Subnational Competition, Ozamiz City in Misamis Occidental was chosen as the venue for this year’s event, bringing together some of the country’s most promising innovators in Northern Mindanao.
The annual competition, organized by the National Innovation Council (NIC), recognizes Filipino-owned and registered enterprises and individuals that have developed innovative products and services currently in the early stages of commercialization.
This year’s Mindanao competition will showcase seven outstanding innovations from Regions 10, 11, 12, and Caraga. These entries highlight Filipino-developed solutions addressing key sectors such as agriculture, food security, disaster resilience, healthcare, manufacturing, and digital transformation, demonstrating how research, technology, and entrepreneurship can provide practical solutions to real-world challenges while strengthening industries and supporting national development.
Now on its second cycle, the Mindanao Subnational Competition will select four finalists who will advance to represent the Mindanao cluster in the 2026 Presidential Filipino Innovation Awards National Competition, scheduled on September 1–3, 2026. There, they will compete alongside the top innovators from the National Capital Region, Luzon, and the Visayas for the country’s highest recognition in innovation.
Entries will be assessed based on three major criteria: Innovativeness (45%), Sustainability, Scalability, and Marketability (30%), and Potential Impact and Relevance (25%). The evaluation underscores originality, commercial viability, and each innovation’s contribution to the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028 and the National Innovation Agenda and Strategy Document 2023–2032.
The top five national finalists with the highest overall rankings will be formally conferred the Presidential Filipino Innovation Awards by the President of the Philippines or the Executive Secretary, by authority of the President.
Awardees will also receive a comprehensive support package valued at up to ₱3.5 million, which includes cash grants, coaching and mentoring, partnership and investment opportunities, participation in trade fairs, international exposure, and other post-competition support from the National Innovation Council.
The staging of the Mindanao competition in Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental, underscores the province’s growing capability to host major regional events while providing an opportunity to showcase Northern Mindanao as a strategic destination for innovation, collaboration, and economic development.
