OGIS Philippines is putting its AI ambitions to work, starting with its own organization.
On October 12, 2026, the company announced the first winners of its AI Transformation Challenge: OCULUS from FastTrack Managed Services and Agent Tessie from CloudTech. The recognition capped months of work by teams across the organization, producing 19 final entries that explored how AI could improve everyday operations and create greater value for customers.
For OGIS Philippines, the challenge is an early, concrete step toward becoming a fully AI-enabled organization and a trusted AI consulting partner. It gives employees a direct role in that transformation, drawing on their understanding of the business to identify problems worth solving and build practical responses.
Building AI capability from within
During the announcement, OGIS Philippines President Sakiyo Fukuoka connected the competition to an ambition she shared at the company's anniversary celebration in February: to become the number one AI-driven solution provider in the Philippines and across Asia.
That ambition had already begun shaping the company's plans. Fukuoka recalled asking each business unit, during preparation of the 2026 business plan, to consider how AI could transform its business and operations. The challenge gave those discussions a clear path toward working initiatives.
Every single entry exceeded my expectations,
What impressed her went beyond the ideas themselves. She recognized the strong business thinking behind the entries and the teams' ability to turn those ideas into real solutions. She also acknowledged that employees developed their initiatives while continuing to serve customers and manage their day-to-day responsibilities.
Her appreciation extended to business unit leaders, AI champions, and the organizing committee, whose guidance, mentoring, and coordination helped teams carry their work through to presentation. Their collective effort showed how much progress the organization could make in a short period.
Nineteen initiatives shaped by real business needs
Gladys Lavilla, Program Lead of the OGIS AI Transformation Challenge and Business Unit Head of FIT Academy, traced the journey from initial discussions and initiative approvals to prototype development and team presentations held from October 1 to 7.
The program received 23 initial entries, consolidated into 19 final submissions: eight focused on customer solutions and 11 on internal transformation. In roughly two and a half months, teams prepared working prototypes, business cases, and implementation plans for leadership review.
The range of entries reflected how widely AI could contribute to the business. Teams explored opportunities in enterprise applications, security, learning, and service delivery, as well as internal work in marketing, finance, and human resources. Participation brought together people with different skills and different views of where change was needed.
Teams also gave their ideas distinct identities through creative presentations, including videos and skits. Lavilla recognized the effort behind that preparation and gave a shout-out to every participating team.
The evaluation placed practical business impact alongside innovation and scalability. Entries needed to make a case for better productivity, stronger customer value, or new business opportunities. This kept the challenge closely connected to the work OGIS Philippines does and the results it aims to deliver.
Meet the first award winners
Managing Director Kerwin Malabanan announced the two winners, praising the quality of submissions across both customer-facing and internal teams. He emphasized that all participants had contributed to the company's progress and encouraged them to continue developing their initiatives.
Most Innovative Customer Solution Initiative
OCULUS
FastTrack Managed Services
OCULUS earned the Most Innovative Customer Solution Initiative award. Developed by FastTrack Managed Services, the initiative aims to help organizations strengthen security management while improving the efficiency of service delivery. Its team members are Christian Obcena, Philip Frias, Jr., and Joharriz Lopez.
Best Business Value AI Initiative
Agent Tessie
CloudTech
Agent Tessie earned the Best Business Value AI Initiative award. Developed by CloudTech, the initiative aims to improve project efficiency and delivery quality, helping the business make better use of its people and time. Its team members are John Mark Acuesta, Charles Lennard Amon, and Kathleen Rhea Amarante.
The winning initiatives illustrate the challenge's two complementary goals: improving how OGIS Philippines operates and strengthening what it can offer customers. Both retain human oversight, keeping people responsible for key decisions as AI supports their work.
Taking Philippine innovation to Osaka
The winning teams will represent OGIS Philippines in Osaka, Japan, with up to three representatives from each initiative. Their prize is a four-day, three-night visit to Japan.
They are scheduled to present their initiatives to OGIS-RI management on November 27, 2026. The opportunity gives the teams a wider audience for their work and brings innovations developed in the Philippines into the group's discussions about AI and business value.
For the employees behind OCULUS and Agent Tessie, it is recognition of the time and care they invested in their ideas. For OGIS Philippines, it is an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities its people are building as the company pursues its AI ambitions in the country and the region.
The next milestone is lasting transformation
The October announcement completes the challenge's first award selection. The broader transformation program continues.
Lavilla outlined the next phase of AI adoption, including plans for an AI Center of Excellence, capability assessment, training, and a shared knowledge hub. Governance and responsible AI use also form part of the work ahead. These measures will support employees as initiatives move toward implementation and wider adoption.
The second milestone, the AI Transformation Finals in November 2027, will recognize the business unit that has successfully transformed its operations through AI implementation. The next stage therefore asks teams to demonstrate sustained changes in how the business works, building on the promise shown in their initial entries.
This competition is not the finish line. It is only a milestone,
Her message to every participant was to keep building, learning, and creating value for customers, regardless of the award results. Every project, she emphasized, had helped move OGIS Philippines forward.
OCULUS and Agent Tessie will carry the company's work to Osaka. Across OGIS Philippines, the responsibility and opportunity to shape its AI future remain shared. The teams have already shown what they can build together; the next chapter is to make those innovations part of how the organization works and serves its customers.