Philippines urged to boost cybersecurity investments amid digital risks

CEBU, Philippines — The Philippines needs to accelerate investments in cybersecurity infrastructure and workforce development as businesses and institutions face growing digital risks, underscoring the importance of building a stronger pipeline of cyber defense specialists.

A two-day Capture the Flag (CTF) competition organized by the Junior Information Systems Security Association of Asia Pacific College (JISSA-APC) in partnership with global cybersecurity firm Resecurity highlighted the role of industry-academe collaboration in preparing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

Held on Sept. 17-18, 2026, at Asia Pacific College’s Security Operations Center (SOC) Laboratory, the event combined technical training with practical exercises designed to test students’ ability to identify vulnerabilities, analyze digital evidence and respond to cybersecurity challenges.

The initiative comes as organizations increasingly rely on digital systems, raising the need for stronger cyber defenses, specialized talent and sustained investment in security capabilities.

For the Philippines, expanding cybersecurity readiness will require more than adopting new technologies. It will also depend on developing skilled professionals who can detect, investigate and mitigate threats.

On the first day, students participated in a three-hour workshop covering cryptography, web exploitation and digital forensics.

The sessions were led by retired Lt. Col. Carlos Ely Tingson, Sgt. Jomari Catungal and Akash Rosen, respectively.

Resecurity provided the technical resources and competition platform, while JISSA-APC managed event coordination, bringing together industry expertise and academic training.

The second day featured the CTF competition, which ran for three hours and 40 minutes. Student teams worked through cryptographic challenges, exploited web vulnerabilities and traced digital evidence, applying their technical knowledge under time constraints.

Jhon Lloyd Nicolas of Team Base67 and Vince Nelmar Alobin of Team Hansa tied as the competition’s top individual scorers, each earning 2,500 points for their respective teams.

The event illustrates how practical training can complement classroom instruction as the country seeks to strengthen its cybersecurity workforce. Competitions such as CTF exercises allow aspiring professionals to test their skills in controlled environments before confronting the more complex demands of real-world security operations.

For the Philippines, the challenge is to translate such initiatives into sustained cybersecurity capacity. Stronger collaboration among schools, technology companies and employers can help close skills gaps, while continued investment in security infrastructure, workforce training and threat-response capabilities will be essential to improving the country’s resilience against digital attacks.

As digital adoption expands across industries, cybersecurity must become a strategic investment rather than a reactive expense.

Building a workforce equipped to protect critical systems will be central to safeguarding businesses, institutions and the country’s increasingly digital economy. — (FREEMAN)