I AM SECURE 2025: ISOGx Season 3 unites over a thousand cyber forces of the Philippines in a powerful hybrid event

The Information Security Officers Group (ISOG), in partnership with XMS, alongside key sponsors, institutional partners, and organization alliances, successfully concluded I AM SECURE 2025: ISOGx Season 3 — a powerful hybrid event inspired by the TEDx format of concise, impactful, and dynamic presentations on Oct. 2, 2025 at the SMX Convention Center, SM Aura Premier, Bonifacio Global City.

Gathering over a thousand cybersecurity leaders, professionals, and advocates, the event marked the culmination of the I AM SECURE 2025 series, reinforcing the nation’s collective commitment to cyber defense and resilience while uniting top minds in national and financial security.

Building Cyber Resilience, Block by Block

In his opening remarks, Mr. Chito Jacinto, President of ISOG, shared that ISOGx Season 3 draws inspiration from Lego building blocks, symbolizing how strategy, structure, and creativity come together to strengthen cybersecurity frameworks.

“What building blocks teach us about strategy, structure, and creativity is the same principle that makes Lego so addictive — it’s also what helps leaders build strong teams, scalable systems, and innovative cultures,” Jacinto said. “In leadership, your baseplate is your foundation — your values, your purpose, your team trust. If those aren’t secure, your most brilliant strategy will eventually collapse under pressure. Before you chase innovation, make sure your core is strong.” he added.

Cyber Defense and Financial Security Leaders Take the Stage

Keynote speakers from both the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) shared vital insights on strengthening national resilience across digital and financial domains.

From BSP, Atty. Eugene Teves, Chief Information Officer, Technology and Digital Innovation Office, virtually delivered a message from the Office of the Governor. Meanwhile, Mhel Plabasan, Senior Director, Technology Risk and Innovation Supervision Department(TRISD) and longtime ISOG ally, discussed “Shields Up! Cyber Resilience as a Pillar of Financial Security.”

Representing the AFP, Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla, AFP Spokesperson and honorary ISOG member, spoke on “Cybersecurity as the 4th Domain of Operations in National Defense: Safeguarding the Country’s Digital Frontier.”

I AM SECURE launches Its First Cyber Caravan at ISOGx

ISOGx Season 3 introduced the first-ever organization and institution Cyber Caravan, participated by AFP, Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG), and Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP).

At the AFP Cyber Caravan, Col. Roland Ong, Brigade Commander of the 1503rd Infantry (Excellence) Brigade (Ready Reserve), discussed “Strengthening the AFP’s Cyber Defense Posture.” The session was attended by personnel from Joint Task Force-NCR, Army Signal Regiment, Cyber Battalion – Reserve Command of the Philippine Army , and the Naval Forces Reserve National Capital Region (NFR-NCR),with the Naval Reserve Center NCR (NRCen-NCR) of the Philippine Navy.

Meanwhile, the PNP- ACG, caravan, led by PLt. Jun Dagoro, PMaj. Sonny Galicia, and PLt. Emmanuel Tampis, focused on cryptocurrency-related cases, cybercrime investigation procedures, and digital forensics.

RBAP hosted its members’ forum, tackling “From App to SuperApp: A Practical Playbook” and “Trust Decision.”

These initiatives reflected the program’s continuing mission to foster collaboration and strengthen cyber resilience through shared knowledge and partnerships.

Showcasing Cyber Defense Excellence

Institutional and media partners elevated cyber awareness through exhibits and showcases from sponsors including BSP, PNP-ACG, Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), NFR- NCR, and BusinessWorld.

The event also featured a special exhibit on Cybersecurity Unmasked, a book by Donald Lim, highlighting real-world insights into cyber leadership.

These exhibits demonstrated how government, private institutions, and innovators work together to advance the Philippines’ cyber defense ecosystem.

Cyber Innovators Prime the Troops

Industry leaders representing Titanium, Platinum, Gold, and Silver sponsors took the stage with cutting-edge presentations on security technologies and best practices.

Titanium Sponsors:

Benjo Aganon Major Account Manager of F5 (through Westcon), Edsel Paglinawan VP, Revenue and Innovation Head, Eastern Telecommunications Philippines Inc.(for NMI), Jason Heng, Regional Director, ASEAN of Rapid7, Anthony Mejilla Country Manager PH ofArista (through Netsec), Jayesh Panicker, Global Sales Engineer of Sophos (through WSI), Christopher Alviar, Systems Engineering Leader and Presales Head for Datacenter, ASEAN at Cisco (through Trends), Ryan Ty, country manager PH of Qualys, Bambi Escalante Country Manager of Fortinet (through Netsec and VST-ECS), Kyle Herrera ,Presales Consultant of Trend Micro (through VST-ECS), Cloudflare’s solution was presented via audio visual presentation.

Platinum Sponsors:

Terrence Tan, Solution Architect, Southeast Asia of Forcepoint, Aizel Barcia, Cortex Domain Consultant of Palo Alto Networks (through Westcon), Tomasz Osiadlo ,Senior Sales Engineer of Zscaler (through Westcon), Jason Tay, Senior Enterprise Account Executive of KnowBe4, Karen Kim, CEO of Human Managed, and Ganesh Vikram, Product Security Specialist of Infoblox

Gold Sponsors:

Han Yang Lau, Senior Manager, Solutions Architect, APAC, of SecurityScorecard (through WSI), Edwin Lim, Senior Sales Engineer of Menlo Security (through Novare), and Arnie S. Alvarez, Chief Technology Officer of Huawei

Silver Sponsors:

Grant Mappatao, Senior Solutions Manager of Sangfor (through WSI), John Henri Ralleta, Sales Engineer of Gigamon Philippines with Darren Chen, Sales Engineering Manager of Extrahop, and Kashyap Vuppuluri, Global Leader in Identity & Access Management and Governance of Arcon

Media partners included BusinessWorld, DWDD AFP Radio, DIGI.PH, and Tech Travel Monitor.

A Unified Cyber Force for the Future

I AM SECURE 2025 – ISOGx Season 3 not only celebrated the remarkable achievements of this year’s cybersecurity campaigns but also reaffirmed ISOG’s steadfast commitment to empowering organizations and leaders to strengthen their digital defenses through priming, collaboration, and innovation.

Nilda Dimaano, Operations Manager of ISOG, shared valuable insights on membership opportunities:“As the leading professional information security organization in the Philippines, ISOG provides a platform for companies to be recognized as active contributors to the country’s growing cybersecurity community.”

Meanwhile, Pam Valmonte, Head of I Am Secure and Operations Manager of XMS, wrapped up the series by expressing gratitude and reflection:“We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported us throughout this successful series of events. Centered on the theme ‘Priming for Cyber Defense: The Consummate Strategy,’ we at XMS deeply value our partnership with ISOG and our shared commitment to consistently deliver interactive, engaging events that empower our delegates and stakeholders to take an active role in advancing the ever-evolving cybersecurity sector.”

Looking ahead, Xiameer Valdeavilla, I Am Secure partner, ISOG consultant, and CEO of XMS, shared hes vision for the future:“Over the years, we’ve seen this movement grow — building alliances, nurturing organizations, and strengthening a thriving ecosystem. I Am Secure has proven itself not only as the country’s grandest cybersecurity event series but also as a catalyst for collaboration, innovation, and industry growth. Soaring high and being future-ready in the age of intelligent threats — see you all again at I Am Secure 2026!”

Through the collaborative efforts, of ISOG and XMS, and their growing network, the program will continue to lead the charge in cultivating a unified cyber force for the future, empowering organizations to rise above the challenges of today’s evolving digital landscape.

Stay Connected:

Website: https://iamsecure.ph

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/i-am-secure-ph

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@iamsecure.campaign

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/iamsecureofficial

Sponsorships & Partnerships: pam.valmonte@xmsmarketing.com

General Inquiries: i sogcybersec@gmail.com

ISOG Membership: isogiamsecure@isog.org.ph

Watch the official recap video: https://youtu.be/YZje4mVeCfo