Kevin Shepherdson, Founder and CEO of Straits Interactive
National AI Prompt Design Challenge Philippines highlights the potential for transformation of Gen AI across industries and key skills development
Metro Manila in the Philippines – The recently concluded National AI Prompt Design Challenge (NAIPDC), hosted by Singapore-based EDTECH and data governance company Straits Interactive, has collaborated with the Philippine Analytics and AI Association (AAP) to provide compelling insights into the Philippines' Breon AI landscape. This competition introduced the breadth of innovative applications from non-technical participants and highlighted the important emergence of rapid engineering as an important skill for industry transformation. In addition to demonstrating the success of the competition, NAIPDC has also revealed its vibrant enthusiasm for engaging with AI among Filipinos, advancing its vision of accessible and impactful AI integration that promises to rebuild various sectors.
This challenge saw nearly 600 participants from over 20 industries, from Metro Manila to Quezon and Pangasinan, and saw the concept that AI is aimed exclusively for programmers and computer scientists. Instead, they emphasized that anyone can build GEN AI apps, particularly through the power of rapid engineering, paving the way for wider business adoption.
Important insights and fascinating innovations from NAIPDC:
Ensuring a wide range of industries have access to AI
This challenge proved that AI development is not limited to AI developers and programmers. Participants from various sectors, including education, business, finance, marketing, and more successfully built code AI applications that did not work. This highlights how, combined with GEN AI tools and domain expertise, it can enable adoption of GEN AI solutions across a wide range of industries.
Transformational AI applications across key sectors
Nearly 200 submitted applications revealed amazing creativity and a strong trend towards real-world problem solving and industry transformation. Among these, the solutions aimed at Digitalization of government services It highlighted the potential to improve the efficiency and accessibility of public services through generative AI.
Includes notable apps:
- Export Buddy: Through an end-to-end journey, our AI assistants volunteer as Filipino exporters provide step-by-step guidance 24/7, from compliance to compliance and post-port support. It aims to split the process and increase human executives.
- bldgguide ph: Designed to help building owners and contractors understand and adhere to Philippine building standards, the AI chatbot provides clear, step-by-step guidance to secure permissions. This reduces reliance on manual enquiries and facilitates a smoother and more compliant construction process.
- Kuya Fready: A localized AI chatbot that guides young Filipinos by applying for government IDs and official documents. Provides personalized step-by-step instructions.
Other impactful applications featured in the Challenge include:
- Enhanced work productivity toolsLearn how AI can boost business productivity and innovation, including AI-powered email builders and business planning assistants.
- Creative and personalized AI tutorIt's like one app is called CodeQuestit demonstrates the potential of AI to revolutionize education by preventing learning to make coding education more engaging and motivating, adjusting learning experiences and overcoming common challenges of self-learning.
- Diagnostic Assistant and Image Analyzer: Includes solutions for pest control and financial planning, highlighting the possibility that AI can transform even niche industries.
- Culturally Immered Innovation: Unique apps involving Filipino heroes and virtual culture teachers show how AI can help promote and spread awareness of local culture.
Rapid Engineering: Basic Skills for AI-led Industry
This challenge reinforced the idea that rapid engineering is an important skill everyone needs to learn if they want to change the Philippine economy. Because rapid engineering is “programming in English,” it empowers domain experts with no previous AI knowledge to create powerful AI assistants tailored to a particular workflow.
Kevin Shepherdson, founder and CEO of Straits Interactive, commented on the results: Each industry. ”
Expanding AI capabilities beyond the Manila metropolitan area
As finalists arrive from schools and businesses both within and outside Manila, NAIPDC shows a national enthusiasm and national enthusiasm for AI learning and innovation. This highlights opportunities to democratize AI capabilities across the archipelago, and fosters industry growth in diverse regions, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Augmenting AI will redefine the role of the industry and will not replace them
NAIPDC has reinforced the message “AI is not going to replace you, but people who know how to use AI.” The focus remains on enhancing human capabilities and enabling more value-added work rather than a wide range of work movements.
NAIPDC also serves as a practical demonstration of Capabara, Straits Interactive's Adaptive Software (SAAS) Generated AI Platform, allowing non-technical users to build customized AI tools with zero coding. The intuitive, no-code interface and support of multiple large-scale language models (LLMS) proved its contribution to enabling participants to quickly translate their ideas into functional applications, accelerating industry adoption.
Through partnerships with a variety of educational institutions, Straits Interactive is committed to deepening AI literacy in the Philippines, providing advanced certificates, and fostering AI initiatives to prepare the workforce for an AI-driven future.
Insights from the NAIPDC show a promising future for the Philippines in the AI economy, increasingly equipped with a workforce to leverage AI for innovation and productivity in all sectors. To win the NAIPDC experience, NAIPDC's exceptional app will be featured at the NAIPDC virtual reunion and closing ceremony on August 1st and will be streamed on Facebook Live. For live links and updates, visit AI-PromptChallenge.com/ph.
About Straits Interactive
Straits Interactive is a leading Edtech company that promises to enable organizations to thrive in a business environment defined by generating AI. By providing robust data protection and governance solutions for organizations, we continue to recruit and data governance with trusted advisors and champions across our region. Our innovative functional models go beyond traditional software (SAAS) by providing comprehensive solutions that include human capital development, platform activation, design-by-design governance, and scalable expertise.
Through the Capabara platform, we offer ready-to-deploy Gen AI Solutions tailored for a wide range of sectors. We focus not only on providing software, but also on ensuring that organizations can use it meaningfully, ethically, and sustainably. Coupled with expert-led advisory services, our Ai-Enhanced training helps promote operational excellence and foster trust in today's intelligent, data-driven world. Recognised as one of the top 10 “outstanding and promising startups” in the first action community for Entrepreneurship (ACE) startup awards, Straits Interactive is at the forefront of changing the landscape of AI and data governance since Singapore. Additionally, he was recognized at the Technology Excellence Awards 2025 by Singapore Business Review for innovative use of Gen AI to transform the learning and development landscape.
For more information, please visit https://www.straitsinteractive.com/.
