“The global space economy continues to expand. New technologies are reshaping industries. The demand for innovation continues to grow. Our responsibility is to ensure that the Philippines is ready. Ready with knowledge, talent, and confidence to be part of the value chain,” Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) Acting Director General Gay Jane Perez said as she opened Philippine Space Week, which ended Friday, Aug. 14.
Organized by PhilSA, Philippine Space Week is a nationwide celebration highlighting how space science, technology and satellite applications contribute to national security, economic development and daily life. Now in its second edition, the annual observance was established through Proclamation No. 302, , to coincide with the anniversary of the enactment of Republic Act 11363, or the Philippine Space Act.
This year’s theme, “Navigating Tomorrow,” highlights how space technologies enable industries, sectors and communities to address future challenges and opportunities.
Held at Quantum Skyview in Gateway Mall 2, Araneta City, the opening was attended by Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Henry Aguda and Department of National Defense (DND) Undersecretary Fabian Pedregosa, along with international partners, industry representatives and academic leaders. Perez emphasized the evolution of the national space ecosystem from academic research initiatives into operational programs.
To mark 10 years since the deployment of Diwata-1, the country’s pioneering microsatellite, which was deployed from the International Space Station PhilSA unveiled a commemorative stamp and First Day Cover.
OpenDronePH, a public repository for open-access drone imagery was also launched. The platform is intended to make aerial data more widely available for mapping, environmental monitoring and disaster risk reduction and management, while also supporting validation of satellite-derived information.
Technical leads provided updates on the Multispectral Unit for Land Assessment (MULA), domestic satellite development and rocket-technology research. Fulbright Philippines highlighted academic exchange programs, while the National Copernicus Capacity Support Action Programme in the Philippines (CopPhil) hosted a panel on career opportunities in Earth observation.The CopPhil initiative, brought together Philippine agencies and European partners to develop applications using Earth-observation data, demonstrated how space capabilities are being applied to disaster management and climate action.
PhilSA also introduced the eight-member crew selected for the Analog Habitat Waypoint (Anahaw) Mission. Following lectures, assessments and a group proposal pitch, the crew will undertake a 24-hour simulated mission in September at Batangas State University, living and operating inside a habitat designed to replicate key challenges of human spaceflight. A Mission Control team and crew reserves will also undergo training to support the exercise.
Kristine Jane S. Atienza, the Philippines’ first analog astronaut and a veteran of a six-day HI-SEAS analog mission, served as mentor to the Anahaw participants and pioneering crew. She previously led the program’s six-part lecture series covering analog-mission science, habitat operations, mission planning and crew readiness.
The second day shifted to the history and development of the country’s satellite program, with a panel lecture at the Malcolm Theater of the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) College of Law. The discussion traced the evolution of the national satellite program from the PHL-Microsat and STAMINA4Space academic joint-build programs in Japan to PhilSA’s current operations.
Panelists included PhilSA founding Director General and University of the Philippines Vice President for Research and Innovation Joel Joseph Marciano Jr., PhilSA Deputy Director General Marc Caesar R. Talampas and Space Technology Missions and Systems Bureau Director John Leur D. Labrador.
The discussion covered technical bottlenecks, local supply-chain gaps and data-integration requirements for local government units. International collaborators Kazuya Yoshida and Yuji Sakamoto of Tohoku University and Yukihiro Takahashi of Hokkaido University discussed advances in optical remote sensing, multispectral payload engineering and regional satellite-data networks in Asia.
“For us, ‘Yamang Kalawakan’ are the people who drive space science and technology with purpose — every teacher who inspires curiosity, every researcher who pushes the boundaries of knowledge, every engineer who chooses to solve difficult problems, every partner who shares our vision, every student who dares to dream,” Perez said.
Legal frameworks for future space activities were also featured. Organizers recognized participants in the Space Law Essay Writing Contest, which asked law students nationwide to propose domestic legal frameworks to ensure the welfare of Filipino astronauts as the country prepares for human spaceflight.
The winners were Salem Rangiris Jr. of San Beda College, who placed first for “Mata sa Langit, Batas sa Lupa: Codifying Welfare Laws for Filipino Astronauts”; Justin de Borja of De La Salle University, who placed second for “Drawing the Line with the Pen of Law: Defining Outer Space”; and Reychemver Credo of Foundation University and Dan Henly Sales of Mindanao State University, who tied for third. Credo wrote “The First Astronaut,” while Sales wrote “Safeguarding the Stars: Domestic Legal Frameworks for the Welfare of Filipino Spacemen and Spacewomen.”
Nationwide activities during the week included public webinars, stargazing sessions at the UP Sunken Garden in Diliman and educational workshops from Baguio to Davao. International participation included a specialized session hosted by the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh in partnership with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce (PCC) in Cambodia.
The Space Business Innovation Camp likewise brought together startups, entrepreneurs, researchers and innovators to explore commercial applications for space data.
Educational outreach will continue in the coming months. High school students across the country have until Sept. 27 to submit entries for the “Patalasan sa #YamangKalawakan” challenge, with selected teams of two to five students developing specialized experiments for testing at the UPD’s full anechoic chamber facility.
