FyrLab Accelerator

STARTUP ILOILO MILESTONE: ILOILO CITY STARTUP ORDINANCE APPROVED 🚀

After an active push from startup founders and enablers, the Iloilo City LEDIP Office, and the Office of Councilor Rudolph Jeffrey Ganzon, the Sangguniang Panlungsod has PASSED on second and final reading the "Iloilo City Comprehensive Technology-based Startup Development and Incentives Ordinance of 2026" today.

Key policy provisions for qualified startups:
* business permit discounts for up to 5 years
* priority in startup enablement initiatives (with a PHP 3M budget)
* intros to potential investors, partners, or buyers
* establishment of an "innovation hub" for aspiring founders

This ordinance—authored by Councilor Ganzon—effectively repeals the similar ordinance previously approved in 2023.

Mayor Raisa Treñas has also expressly supported the passage of this ordinance that will strengthen Iloilo City's position as a national and global startup hub.

Padayon kita!

Designing for families navigating special needs care means designing for people who are already carrying a lot.

B Academy’s User Acceptance Test (UAT) for the THRIBO apps put their screening and assessment apps through a rigorous, empathy-driven feedback session with user proxies who evaluated them not just for functionality, but for cognitive accessibility.

The test was structured around a specific question: does this app reduce mental effort, or create it? Testers examined everything from how clearly instructions were written, to whether the app’s flow supported users who may struggle with focus, memory, and emotional regulation. Visual noise, error recovery, navigation logic, and aesthetic professionalism were all on the table.

For a platform designed to guide families through assessment, evaluation, and specialist matching, those details are the product. A confusing screen, a punishing error message, or a cluttered layout—any minor friction point for most users can be a real barrier for the people THRIBO is built to serve.

That standard shaped every part of how this session was run, and every part of how B Academy will build from here.

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🔥 FyrLab Accelerator, backed by DOST Western Visayas, brings together strategic startup support players in the region's startup and innovation ecosystem. We believe Filipino founders deserve inspiration and the tools to build businesses that last.

In early-stage product development, what you don't know can cost more than what you do.

Our Product Development Office Hours brought MyTutor and DigiHwy the kind of bespoke, architecture-level mentorship that most startups don't get until something breaks.

Each team's current build was examined on its own terms against the specific demands of their stage, their users, and their next major milestone.

The output of the session: a clear, sequenced path forward grounded in what each product actually needs right now.

Structured mentorship at the right moment improves a product and protects the entire venture.

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🔥 FyrLab Accelerator, backed by DOST Western Visayas, brings together strategic startup support players in the region's startup and innovation ecosystem. We believe Filipino founders deserve inspiration and the tools to build businesses that last.