Hello Reader,

How's the summer heat treating you? I hope you're enduring as I am.

This past Saturday, I was in Lipa, Batangas for the Batangas IT Conference, and goodness gracious, the outside heat was unbearable. We knew that it would be blazing hot, so we decided against our usual practice of walking around town after an event. But we still did manage to score us some Batangas food! From tulingan to kakanin to pastries, oh man, everything was mouth-watering! 🤤

The event itself was a huge success, attended by 1,500 students! Huge props to Dr. Francis, my co-speakers, and the rest of BITS for making it happen. It was also fun seeing the students strutting their talent (or lack thereof lol) on stage. I posted a highlight reel on my socials. Thank you, Lipa City! Now that we know that there's a P2P bus from SM Megamall to SM Lipa and back, we'll definitely come back (Batangas meetup? 👀), but definitely not while this summer heat is still raging.

As always, enjoy the rest of the newsletter! And please do tell me what you think.​

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Cheers,

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Rem "Kuya Dev" Lampa

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News and Updates

​The AI Crisis we're ignoring​ (Youtube: Our Changing Climate)

I'm going to sound like a broken record here, but AI, and most specifically the data centers that power AI are helping accelerate climate change. And AI is being used to dupe us into thinking this is not the case, and that AI is the answer to climate change... that the end justifies the AI means.

The extreme heat we're experiencing this summer is only going to get so much worse in the coming decade. And I can't imagine the destruction that unprecedented and more powerful typhoons will bring when monsoon season comes.

And no, I am not anti-AI. I am anti-irresponsible and exploitative AI. This is one of the huge reasons I decided to take up graduate studies in Responsible AI.

​Startup VCs tend to avoid the Philippines​ (Tiktok: @johdang808)

I've been immersed in the startup ecosystem in one way or another, and the experiences I've had and the horror stories I've heard, especially when dealing with our very own government, have disillusioned me. I no longer dream of putting up my own startup here. I'm not trying to dissuade others, I still think that if an idea or vision comes my way that I'm convinced won't come into fruition without me, I'd probably go for it. But even if that doesn't happen, I won't fuss much about it anymore.

If you're someone who's planning on founding a startup, yes please do! We need more entrepreneurs and innovators in the country. Just know you'll be playing on "hard mode".

​Foxmont VC on the future of the PH startup ecosystem​ (StellarPH)

It's not all doom and gloom though. If Foxmont--one of the active VCs here in the country--is to be believed, the future is looking up.

There no shortage of problems that can be solved through strategic entrepreneurship in the Philippines. If only government agencies start thinking about nation-building, instead of short-term personal gains. One can only wish.

​CIMB customers experience unauthorized withdrawals from their accounts​ (Facebook: CIMB)

CIMB has acknowledged that there have been unauthorized transactions affecting a lot of their customers. They've also started returning the funds to their rightful owners. I'm curious to know what happened, as they haven't released any other details on the incident.

If you were affected, and the funds haven't been returned, make sure you report it to them via their customer hotline #2462.

More News

• ​"Godfather of AI" issues warnings about unregulated AI​
• ​VITRO Data Center opens in Sta. Rosa Laguna​
• ​FREE COURSE ALERT: Become a Fabric Data Engineer​
• ​KakaComputer Podcast episodes 67 & 68 released​
• ​Vote Report PH is looking for volunteers​
• ​Join in the Filipino ICT Professionals Survey 2025​

Subscriber Corner

When I was still trying to break into the tech industry, I met a music undergraduate who was also trying to learn how to code. We've both successfully made the jump into tech. I suggest watching my interview of him: Part 1 & Part 2.

Regarding whether I know of companies who are accepting career shifters, frankly, I wouldn't know. I'm not on the look out for these companies, and thus, I'm not actively researching on them. (

Besides, what's stopping you from applying to ALL companies that interest you? That's what I did, I didn't know nor care whether a company was open to career shifters or not. I just applied indiscriminately. If they're going to reject you, let them. But never ever reject yourself!

Just jump right in and hope for the best. Good luck!

Do you have a question or a message for Kuya Dev? Send them! (I will choose a few to feature here each week, you will remain anonymous of course.)