The room was alive with conversation and curiosity as over 180 tech enthusiasts, students, and professionals stepped into the GT Toyota Asian Center at UP Diliman for Samsung Open Source Philippines (SOSCON PH) 2025. This year’s theme, “Beyond Code: Open Source in Action,” highlighted collaboration, practical innovation, and the role of community in driving technology forward.

Unlike previous years focused solely on talks, this year’s SOSCON PH event introduced hands-on workshops, a game changer that showcases how open source technologies can be applied in various industries.

Opening Sparks Inspiration

The conference kicked off with an energizing welcome from the hosts, followed by the keynote from Mr. Yong Seok Park, Samsung R&D Institute Philippines Managing Director.

“By focusing on the applications and use cases instead of just the code… you will be able to think of innovations that can bridge the gap between theoretical potential and practical utility, which will make open source more accessible, credible, and impactful,” said Mr. Park.

This sentiment was echoed by Ms. Loisa Amat-Buenafe,SRPH Head of Learning & Development, who walked the audience through Samsung’s rich open source journey that included numerous Linux Kernel contributions, Android, Tizen, and cutting-edge AI research.

Tech Talks That Pushed Boundaries

The morning session was a showcase of diverse perspectives and innovative ideas. Kicking off the event were tech talks from external speakers highlighting the different use cases of open source technologies. Von Rolfe Velasco of UnionDigital Bank demonstrated how open source fuels banking innovation, inspiring attendees to rethink traditional financial systems. Gabriel Sampedro, PhD, founder of Philippine Coding Camp, explored AI, digital twins, federated learning, and blockchain in industrial IoT, leaving the audience awed by the possibilities. Richard Guinto and Julia Anjanet Pineda of Analog Devices highlighted the importance of trust at the edge and containerized workflows for embedded systems. Ben Hur Pinto, co-founder of SmartCT, closed the talks with a deep dive into Open Source Kontra Platform Decay, emphasizing sustainability in tech development. The energy in the room was tangible, with attendees asking thoughtful questions, networking, and exchanging ideas that sparked new collaborations.

Learning Through Application

After lunch, participants rolled up their sleeves for intensive workshops led by SRPH engineers including Senior Manager Joseph Baking (NWT), Lead Engineer Alyssa Fae Ocfemia (CST) and Abdul Rashid Sampaco III (CST), and Staff Engineer Irish Carlo Cadague (COT).

From creating workflows with Airflow, Analyzing Data with Pandas, and containerizing applications with Docker, to an introductory session on Kubernetes, attendees got hands-on experience that translated ideas into practical skills.

Meanwhile, the booths and networking activities offered a more informal space to engage with the tech community, led by industry partners including Open Source Software Philippines, DEVCON PH, Philippine Coding Camp, Analog Devices, and Orange & Bronze Software Labs.

SOSCON PH 2025 also partnered with student organizations and other tech sectors with Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences PH (KICS – PH), Data Engineering Pilipinas, AWS Cloud Clubs, UP CURSOR, and Ateneo CompSAT in attendance.

Celebrating Community and Achievements

The conference ended on a high note with raffle prizes, awarded for both internal and external speakers, and closing remarks from Christian Enriquez, Head of Cloud Solutions Team, SRPH, who encouraged everyone to keep pushing boundaries through open source innovation.

Looking Ahead

SOSCON PH 2025 showed just how vibrant and collaborative the Philippine tech community has become. From inspiring talks to hands-on workshops and lively conversations, attendees left energized, ready to experiment, build, and contribute to open source in new ways.

Samsung Open Source Conference PH is keeping the momentum going. After this year’s success, SOSCON PH 2026 promises even bigger ideas, bolder innovations, and more opportunities to learn, share, and network—beyond code.

The SOSCON PH 2025 leads would like to thank all task force members, SRPH volunteers, speakers, external partners, and participants, for sharing their time and talent in advancing SOSCON PH’s mission of promoting open source awareness and adoption in the Philippines.