TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines— Samar State University (SSU) once again affirmed its reputation as a hub for innovation and excellence, bringing home multiple recognitions during the Visayas Startup Awards 2025 held during the Innovation and Technology Transfer Summit on September 4-5, 2025, in Tacloban City. The event was jointly organized by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Regional Office VIII and the Wadhwani Foundation.
At the center of SSU’s victories was Project TANAW, a pioneering research initiative that integrates 3D Urban Modeling and Simulation with GeoVirtual Environment (GeoVE) and Projected Augmented Reality (AR) technologies. From among 18 startup finalists across the region, Project TANAW rose to the top and was declared the Overall Category Winner in the summit.
Project TANAW, spearheaded by the Samar Island GIS and Data Analytics Center (SIGISDAC) under the headship of Engr. Raven C. Tabiongan, is a ₱4-million project funded by the Catbalogan City LGU and implemented by SSU. The project is envisioned as a transformative tool for sustainable urban planning—allowing architects, urban planners, and policymakers to virtually simulate urban growth, assess resource utilization, and design eco-efficient infrastructure. The development team is composed of Ar. Lhimarose Tanseco (Architect III), Catherine Carcellar, LPT (Project Development Officer), Yvonne Chui (Project Administrative Officer), James Cortel (Motion and Effects Designer), and Sonny Boy Ellema (Computer Programmer).
Adding to SSU’s proud moment, SIGISDAC Director Engr. Raven C. Tabiongan was also honored as Researcher of the Year as a recognition to his leadership in advancing innovative technologies for regional development. The ‘Researcher of the Year’ award spotlights a scientist whose body of work moves the needle from prototypes and publications to policies, pilots, and products that Visayas communities can actually use.
The dual victories underscore SSU’s growing influence in research, innovation, and technology transfer—not only in Samar but also in the broader academic and development landscape.
The summit is a gathering of innovators, builders, and collaborators committed to continually advancing the Visayas startup community. The Visayas Startup Awards 2025 is a premier regional event that spotlights the most promising startups and ecosystem enablers across Central Philippines. This year’s assembly of technology enthusiasts represented innovations across AgriTech, EdTech, FinTech, GreenTech, HealthTech, and Tourism & Creative Tech. The summit then featured bold innovations, such as Farmyra, OIKOS ORCHARD & FARM, Fruitos, ThinkerVille, TalinoX, ArticuLit, NegoHack, IDiscount Philippines, C4U: Chores for You, TANAW, THEREALONE, ResQcomm, BioConnectify, Telerad.ph, CENTENO, RentHive Technologies Inc., NextStop, and PackUp.