24/09/2025
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ฆ-๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ: ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ณ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฑ๐น๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐
The Computer Science Society (ComSoc) of the College of Computer Studies (CCS), Mindanao State UniversityโIligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), led the Instituteโs celebration of Software Freedom Day (SFD) 2025 on September 20, 2025, at the College of Health Sciences (CHS) Hall. Held in collaboration with the Computer Applications Society, Institute of Computer Engineers of the Philippines - Student Edition (ICpEP.SE) of MSU-IIT, CCS Executive Council, and the Junior Information Technology Society (JITS), the event centered on the theme of Gentoo Linux, drawing faculty, students, and industry professionals into a collective reflection on the enduring power of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS).
The program formally opened with remarks from CCS Dean Atty. Eddie Buoy B. Palad, who underscored that the occasion is bigger than only celebrating the existence of software freedom; it is also an opportunity to nurture a culture of openness and innovation in technology and instill principles that mirror the Instituteโs mission of empowering both learners and communities.
The morning session began with Mr. Geronyl S. Paragoso, a software engineer with expertise in AI and machine learning, who presented โ๐๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ค๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ป๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐: ๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ค๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ถ๐ข๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ด ๐๐ฐ๐ค๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐บ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ฎ๐ข.โ Paragoso drew from years of professional experience with clients across Asia Pacific and North America, contextualizing the practical benefits of running AI models locally rather than depending on proprietary cloud services. His live demonstration of Ollama showed participants how text-based and visual AI can be deployed on personal machines with no usage fees and unlimited scalability. He emphasized that this approach preserves both data privacy and cost efficiency, empowering developers and users alike to retain control of their digital tools.
The session then transitioned to Ms. Phoebe Ruth Alithea B. Sudaria, faculty member and researcher, with her talk on โ๐๐ฏ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ฆ๐ด๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฌ๐ง๐ญ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ด ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ด.โ Beginning with a striking reminder of how many hours humans live in an average lifetime, Sudaria highlighted the pressing need to maximize time effectively. As technology becomes increasingly woven into daily life, she argued, AI must be treated not as a distraction but as a critical partner in research and learning. For students in particular, she noted that thesis writing is one of the most time-consuming stages of academic life. With AI, however, students can design socially relevant, future-ready projects with larger scopes and still graduate on time. Her message was both practical and aspirational: that the tools of today, when used ethically, allow IITians to aim higher than ever before.
In the afternoon, the focus shifted toward expanding the horizons of software freedom into emerging fields. Asst. Professor Earl Ryan M. Aleluya of the Department of Computer Engineering and Mechatronics introduced the audience to the Robot Operating System (ROS). Speaking candidly about his journey, Aleluya described how early failures in robotics became stepping stones toward breakthroughs. He emphasized that robotics is not confined to engineering alone but is a convergence of disciplines, from computer science to data science to vision systems. By sharing the steep learning curve and the satisfaction of overcoming it, he encouraged students to see robotics as a field where curiosity, persistence, and collaboration can flourish.
The exploration of foundations and philosophies followed through the talk of Asst. Professor Renato Crisostomo, who has devoted 16 years to teaching computer science. In his lecture, โ๐๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ง๐ต๐ธ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ท๐ด. ๐๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐๐ฐ๐ง๐ต๐ธ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ,โ Crisostomo revisited the historical roots of the two movements, their philosophical differences, and their shared goal of ensuring freedom in computing. He explained that free software advocates emphasize user freedoms, while open-source proponents focus on collaborative development and practical adoption. Both, however, represent the rejection of closed systems that restrict knowledge. By tracing these histories, Crisostomo reminded the audience why Software Freedom Day exists: to honor the roots of computer science as a discipline committed to openness, ethicality, and accessibility.
The final presentation was delivered by Mr. John-Ronan S. Beira, a ComSoc student leader and third-year Computer Science student, who spoke on โ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฏโ๐ต ๐๐ญ๐ข๐บ ๐๐ข๐ช๐ณ: ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ถ๐น.โ Beira reflected on his own journey of transitioning from Windows to Linux, candidly sharing the disorientation of suddenly losing familiar systems and shortcuts. Yet, through persistence and exploration, he found adaptability and resilience, which are such values that mirrored the ethos of FOSS. He also introduced practical methods for newcomers, such as experimenting with Linux via Docker, which spares them the complexity of dual-boot setups. His reflections bridged philosophy and practice: software freedom, he stressed, is both a struggle and a skill, a process that sharpens technical ability and strengthens oneโs resolve to keep learning.
Beyond the lecture hall of CHS, the Computer Applications Department, ICpEP.SE - MSU-IIT, CCS Executive Council, and JITS animated the event with interactive booths. These exhibits offered glimpses into projects, applications, games, and tools, embodying the collaborative nature of open-source culture. The diversity of displays reflected the essence of FOSS, a core belief that ensures knowledge is shared, adapted, and improved by the community.
The day formally closed with Asst. Professor Liezil C. Daberao, Chairperson of the Department of Computer Science, who in her remarks expressed gratitude to the organizers, speakers, and participants. She highlighted that Software Freedom Day exemplifies the spirit of ComSoc and CCS: a tradition of fostering innovation that is accessible, inclusive, and ethically grounded.
The celebration of Software Freedom Day 2025 was a living affirmation of why software freedom matters: that the right to study, innovate, and share must remain unbounded by cost, gatekeeping, or proprietary control. From local AI utilization to adaptability and resilience in learning Linux, or even towards robotics research workflows, the event made an effort such that the audience takes FOSS as not only a philosophy but also a pathway to progress.
The future is indeed FOSS-tastic. We have such a future where learning is open, collaboration is limitless, and progress thrives in lines of code freely written and freely shared, all within the grasp of our hands.
Report by Calvyn Kent Adeva
Photos by John Abuel, Chrysolite Catalino, and Joash Casiรฑo
