I recently attended DevFest Baguio 2024, held on November 9, 2024, at the University of the Cordilleras in Baguio City. The full-day event, running from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, was organized by Google Developer Group (GDG) Baguio and featured an impressive array of talks, workshops, and interactive sessions focused on emerging technologies and innovation. As someone passionate about technology, I was excited to join fellow developers, tech enthusiasts, and innovators in sharing knowledge, experiences, and ideas.
My group and I made the commitment to arrive early at the venue, having traveled all the way from Olongapo. I was pleased when the organizers expressed surprise and appreciation at seeing participants who had journeyed such a distance to attend the event. This warm reception added a personal touch to my experience and set a positive tone for the day’s activities.
Throughout the event, I gained valuable insights across several fascinating topics, though a few sessions particularly stood out to me. Mr. Ralph Regalado’s talk on Building a Search Engine with Vertex AI was both enlightening and inspiring. Through his session, I gained a clearer understanding of how artificial intelligence and advanced algorithms can be leveraged to design efficient, scalable search engines. What I found most valuable was seeing how AI models are integrated into practical, real-world applications—knowledge that I can envision applying in my future projects.
I was equally impressed by the Incognito presentation delivered by Sir Aldrin Taccayan of Crypto Warriors. His talk delved into privacy and security in the digital space, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding user data and communications. In today’s increasingly interconnected digital landscape, I found these insights particularly relevant and applicable to my work.
Another eye-opening perspective came from Sir Brian Mamaril’s session on Write Once, Run Everywhere with WebAssembly (WASM). I learned how WASM allows developers to build applications that can seamlessly run across different platforms, reducing redundancy and enhancing efficiency. This concept of cross-platform compatibility through WebAssembly introduced me to new development strategies that I’m eager to incorporate into my future work.
The ideas and insights from these sessions sparked several practical applications I’d like to pursue. I can directly apply the concepts from the Vertex AI session to enhance search functionality in web and mobile applications I develop, helping users get faster, more relevant results. The discussion on Incognito reinforced my commitment to embedding security features in application design, especially when dealing with sensitive user data. I now view implementing privacy-focused practices in my projects as not just beneficial but essential.
Sir Brian Mamaril’s talk on WebAssembly has inspired me to experiment with building cross-platform applications that can reduce development effort while maximizing reach and performance. I’m excited to explore further the powerful concept of coding once and deploying across multiple environments in my upcoming projects.
I found the event to be excellently organized overall, offering a dynamic lineup of sessions that catered to my diverse tech interests. Each speaker delivered their topic with clarity and enthusiasm, making complex technical ideas accessible and engaging for me and other attendees. The interactive workshops, particularly the Gemini API tutorial, added a valuable hands-on component to my learning experience. I enjoyed exploring the plenary hall booths, which showcased local tech initiatives and created a vibrant atmosphere. The PC Express auction was a fun and unexpected highlight of my day, adding an entertaining element that balanced well with the technical sessions.
While my experience at DevFest was fulfilling, I noticed a few areas that could be improved for future events. Some sessions overlapped in the schedule, which made it challenging for me to attend all the talks and workshops that interested me. I would have appreciated recorded sessions or a more staggered schedule to allow me to absorb more content without having to make difficult choices about which sessions to miss.
Additionally, as someone visiting the venue for the first time, I would have benefited from clearer signage or more detailed venue maps to navigate the location more easily. These minor adjustments would further enhance the experience for attendees like myself who travel from both near and far to participate in such valuable knowledge-sharing events.