PH startup to
revolutionize postal system
By DTI-TIPG
May 4, 2017
MAKATI – The
Department of Trade and Industry’s Philippine Trade and Investment
Center (PTIC) in Singapore is working closely with four Filipinos from
Cebu who are presently based in Singapore, to officially introduce
Geopik, an app that will revolutionize the postal system in the
Philippines.
Filipinos Francisco Liwa,
Ivan Lacuesta, Rodessa Padrigano and John Ryan Loyloy utilize the
digital address system using geohashing and geolocation technologies
similar to that used by apps such as Waze or Google Maps.
Geopik converts long
addresses or the absence of house numbers which is common in the
Philippines, into more exact, customizable and easy-to-remember single
codes. The app reduces the hassle brought by additional information to
the actual address such as “house with blue gate, in front of a mango
tree” by simply converting addresses to simple digital codes.
Seeing the inefficiency in
the Philippines’ postal coding, the PH startup Geopik set out to offer
a solution to e-commerce, logistics, and other location-dependent
businesses.
“It’s such a unique
experience to help build something and be part of its growth from the
very beginning. This is our way of taking charge of our future and
making an impact back home in the process,” said GeoPik co-founder
John Loyloy.
Aligned with the Philippine
government’s thrust to develop an innovative entrepreneurial culture,
DTI supports startups and helps strengthen the innovation ecosystem in
the country through various initiatives such engaging startup
entrepreneurs.
In 2016, DTI launched the
QBO Innovation Hub situated at the DTI International Building, Makati
City. It is the first public-private innovation hub in the Philippines
that aims to provide support services to startup and innovation
entrepreneurs. The DTI partners with incubator and accelerator
Ideaspace Foundation, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST),
and JP Morgan.
In Singapore, parallel
initiatives are being done by the PTIC led by Commercial Counsellor
Glenn Peñaranda, who engages with the Filipino community by speaking
at investment seminars and online channels on entrepreneurship with
the goal of providing more job opportunities for Filipinos.
“Startups play a pivotal
role in driving innovation and economic growth hence we are happy to
help GeoPik reach out to decision-makers and to potential users. We
also look forward to work with more Filipino startups here in
Singapore and the region and help them scale up,” said Commercial
Counsellor Peñaranda.