Building Up the Laravel Community in the Philippines: The Artisan of the Day Is Prince John Santillan.
When Prince John Santillan graduated with a degree in Computer Engineering in the Philippines, he didn’t immediately step into a programming career. Instead, he spent five years exploring several pursuits, ranging from business to stock trading. But those detours left him searching for direction.
“I decided to go back to programming, but by then, I already felt behind with my peers, and imposter syndrome was really a struggle for me. Luckily, I found Laravel at that time, and it really fits well with my mental model.”
Rediscovering programming through Laravel gave him the momentum he needed. The framework made it easy to start building projects again, and it opened the door to a career in software development.
Finding His People at Laracon Australia
Prince’s connection with the Laravel Community deepened when he attended Laracon Australia last year. From the very start, he felt welcomed. “A day before the conference, Michael Dyrynda, the organizer himself, met me in person to give me this Go Card, which allowed me and my family to go around Brisbane for free. It was just amazing that he really went out of his way to do that.”
The sense of belonging only grew during the conference. A short phrase from a book that Prince had shared in the attendee group chat the night before ended up on the opening slides of the keynote. “I was shocked to see it on screen, and it really made me feel like I was part of the community.”
Later, after one of the sessions, Prince found himself near Taylor Otwell. “I was just at the back listening to the conversation, and when Taylor was done talking and people didn’t have any other questions, Taylor himself leaned forward, offered a handshake, and said hi to me. And I really felt great just to see the framework creator being very humble and hospitable that way.”
For Prince, these small moments captured the essence of the Laravel culture: open, welcoming, and humble.
Growing PHPxCebu
The inspiration from Laracon didn’t stop in Brisbane. Back home, Prince started PHPxCebu, a local Laravel meetup group. The response was immediate. “In just two meetups, three people from the meetup already landed jobs that they really enjoy.”
Support has come from across the ecosystem, with sponsorships from Laravel, NativePHP, and local companies. The momentum has made PHPxCebu a hub for connection, learning, and career growth in the local community.
“The Laravel Community opens a lot of doors, and it also opens a lot of friendships. So yeah, I love Laravel and I’m super thankful to be part of it. Let’s continue to build software and also continue to build communities and friendships.”
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