Photo via Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival’s official Facebook page, July 11, 2025.
The team behind Project GUIA (Giyáhan ug Iplano ang Asenso) met with Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival on July 11 to present their award-winning initiative and explore opportunities for collaboration in advancing data-driven urban development in the city.
The team outlined how GUIA functions as a centralized platform that connects local government units, national agencies, and private developers through real-time datasets, AI-assisted analysis, and integrated planning tools. The Mayor and his staff emphasized the need to incorporate localized data to better reflect on-the-ground conditions. They also raised interest in adapting effective project frameworks from other barangays to be replicated across the city and in other LGUs.
In response to concerns about inefficiencies in government processes, the team proposed the development of a mobile application to support e-governance. Follow-up meetings are scheduled to discuss this proposal and enhancements to the GUIA platform.
Present at the meeting were team members Wince dela Fuente, Chris Loui Cañete, Kashi Kyle Estudillo, Kenz Jehu Barina, Lizter Angelo Abrau, and Amielle Perez, representing DEBMAC Technologies.
Project GUIA is a student-led initiative by UP Cebu and UP Los Baños. It was awarded the Gawad Pangulo para sa Natatanging Inobasyon by the University of the Philippines System.