Press Release

Balik*Bayan Singapore 2025: Reconnecting Filipino Diaspora With Innovation Back Home

Singapore, Monday, May 12, 2025 —

Endeavor Philippines, in partnership with Cooley, proudly hosted Balik*Bayan Singapore 2025, an intimate gathering of over 40 Filipino founders, funders, and innovation leaders from across Southeast Asia. Held at Cooley’s Singapore office, this year’s edition marked a milestone in the initiative—bringing the conversation on diaspora-led innovation to one of the region’s most dynamic startup capitals.

Balik*Bayan is an Endeavor Philippines initiative that engages Filipinos abroad—whether born-and-raised, Filipino at-heart, or deeply connected to the regional tech ecosystem—in exploring opportunities to give back and build forward with the Philippines. This year’s theme, “Balik ka sa bayan. Ibalik mo sa bayan.” (“Come home. Give back.”), served as both an invitation and a challenge.

Event Highlights

The evening opened with Welcome Remarks from Manny Ayala, Managing Director of Endeavor Philippines, who reframed balikbayan not just as a homecoming, but as a reinvestment in nation-building through entrepreneurship.

“Kailan ka babalik sa bayan? Paano mo ibabalik sa bayan?” he asked, citing examples of diaspora leaders who are already driving impact back home.

A Fireside Chat followed, featuring inspiring diaspora leaders Dexter Ligot-Gordon (Co-founder & CEO of Swarm), Jose Dalino (CTO of PayMongo), and Greg Krasnov (Founder & CEO of Tonik).

The discussion offered candid reflections on navigating identity, risk, and responsibility while building in and for the Philippines.

Key Takeaways from the Panel
  • The Time is Now: The Philippines is emerging as one of Southeast Asia’s most promising markets, with a tech-savvy population and increasing investor interest.
  • The Talent is Here: Filipino tech talent is reaching global standards, especially in product, design, and engineering.
  • The Community Matters: The strongest advice to diaspora? “Find your tribe. Find your network. Don’t do it alone.” Ecosystem-building in the Philippines is deeply relational—driven by trust and collaboration.

Balik*Bayan Singapore 2025 is the latest in a series of diaspora events hosted by Endeavor Philippines, following previous gatherings in Los Angeles and San Francisco. With each edition, the message is clear: wherever we are in the world, we are still building something together.

The event was made possible through the generous support of Cooley.