How long do we have until robots gain sentience and thrust us into an Asimovian dystopia? Ely Ampao of PhilRobotics and JumpSparc said that given the great strides the world has made in robotics and artificial intelligence, we have more or less a decade until humanity creates our future robot overlords.

But kidding aside, the Philippines is lagging behind other countries when it comes to robotics. In an interview with SparkUp at the sidelines of the Startup Project expo at the University of Sto. Tomas last June 3, Mr. Ampao said that while they’re doing their part in making robotics more accessible to the public, they’re facing two major problems in trying to make it more popular in the Philippines.

First, no one has made robots “sexy” in the Philippine context yet.

And no, we’re not talking about robot companions ala‑Gigolo Joe (Jude Law) in the 2001 Spielberg movie A.I. Artificial Intelligence. “Robotics in the Philippines isn’t sexy. When I say sexy I mean it makes people go ‘wow’ when they see it,” Mr. Ampao explained. “I think someone has to make our own version of robotics. We’re too influenced by the West and the Chinese.”

Indeed, most science fiction influences stem from Western nations and Japan nowadays, a far cry from its Czech roots with Karel Capek’s 1920s play Rossum’s Universal Robots, which popularized the word “robot”. When we hear of robots, we think of Japanese mechs and American cyborgs. What does the Philippines have to offer? The 2007 Metro Manila Film Festival movie Resiklo starring Bong Revilla?

It is in the context of making “sexy robots” that the role of art and media comes in. “Maybe if someone could make a television show or a movie with Philippine robots, people would get interested in it,” Mr. Ampao said. It is here where science needs art, and art can find itself inspired by science.

The second problem robotics in the Philippines face is the perception that it is an expensive field.

“Hardware can be expensive. That’s the major deterrence that we’ve discovered,” said Mr. Ampao. “That’s why we’re also promoting Hebocon where you can use everyday stuff to make robots.”

And robot enthusiasts in the Philippines early this year set up their own informal Hebocon, with robots made of chichirya wrappers and barrel men. JumpSparc is also working with schools, which have the money to invest in robotics programs and short courses.

“We’re talking with our student ambassadors to have mini meet‑ups again and we’re trying to get another set of mini‑workshops. Venues where people can play around with robotics,” said Mr. Ampao. “I think that‑s the way to do it, get regular meet‑ups going.”

Despite these issues, Mr. Ampao remains optimistic about the future of robotics in the Philippines. “We live in exciting times,” he said, citing the proposals in the Senate for a Philippine Space program. “And for that we need more scientists and more techies. Bring them back here from abroad.”

Afashion designer profiled by British Vogue sashayed in the retail industry in 2009 with absolute honesty—the complexities of her gender and sexuality as a lesbian.

“I consider the LGBT as an inspiration,” Kaye Morales told SparkUp in an interview at her atelier in San Antonio Village, Makati City. True to form—and with the memory of struggling with clothing choices as a young boyish girl—the 33‑year‑old Ms. Morales is a purveyor of designs that cater to people of “all sexual orientations and gender expressions.”

These styles range from oversized and edgy pieces, to fabrics bursting with rainbow colors—the global colors of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) pride.

Her direction sprung from her desire to be free. “I didn’t want to work while hiding something,” she recalled. “At one point, I had been put out to my friends, but not in the industry where I worked. I wanted to be real and I wanted people to know the real me, so I can work properly.”

Art Samantha Gonzales

Her sartorial passion began to express itself at the De La Salle‑College of Saint Benilde, where she took up interior design, then production design. She was aware of being always noticed for her fashion taste.

The call of the catwalk drew her to the SoFA Design Institute in Makati and eventually to London’s Central Saint Martins, whose notable alumni include Alexander McQueen and John Galliano.

“I was still studying, but a lot of fashion editors were already recognizing my works,” she said. “That’s when I decided to start my business.”

Initially managing two brands—her eponymous clothing label which featured avant‑garde pieces, and Schizo, which offered street wear—she later merged the two to avoid brand confusion among her customers.

Today, Ms. Morales continues designing and running a business. Gazing at the spotless white floor of her shop that lazy weekday afternoon, she tells a story about receiving an offer by the country’s largest retailer to set up shop in their malls, which she had to turn down. “But I still need to study mass production,” she says in hindsight. Still, among her plans is opening more outlets, including, perhaps, outside the country. So far, her mother is her main investor.

Late last year, she diversified and added to her portfolio Nectar, a Bonifacio Global City-based luxury nightclub for the LGBT. She is a co‑owner.

“It’s really a hard business,” she said about the cutthroat industry. “Every day there are new designers. But I can say that I have become braver in my seven years so far.”

“I want to prove that I have worth even if I am a lesbian,” she finally declares.