May 29, 2025 — 5 min read

SpringboardLabs, the innovation arm of Springboard Philippines in partnership with Animo Labs, brought together aspiring developers for an inspiring and hands-on Laravel workshop last May 24, 2025 at Animo Labs HQ, De La Salle University, Manila.

In a time when tech stacks are ever-evolving and developers often chase after the newest tools, SpringboardLabs took a bold step back and hosted a session that aimed to dispel the myth that PHP—one of the oldest and the cornerstone of many popular platforms, is dead.

Leading the charge was Earnest John Gungon, the seasoned Technical Lead of Springboard Philippines, who brought with him five years of real-world development experience and a firm belief in PHP’s continued relevance in modern web development.

PHP Isn’t Dead, It Just Evolved

The session kicked off with a thought-provoking discussion around the infamous sentiment that “PHP is dead.” Earnest didn’t hold back. With humor, clarity, and conviction, he broke down the misconceptions that have plagued PHP for years.

“People love to joke that PHP is outdated.” Earnest noted, quoting a participant who admitted that despite these jokes, young developers still use PHP for actual projects. The contradiction isn’t lost on the tech community. While newer languages like JavaScript and Python often steal the spotlight, PHP continues to run a massive portion of the internet, including big-name platforms like WordPress, Slack, Spotify, and Facebook (in its earlier days).

What many fail to realize, Earnest pointed out, is that PHP has evolved massively throughout the years.

Laravel as PHP’s Modern Armor

At the heart of PHP’s modern resurgence is Laravel, the elegant and powerful web application framework that has changed the game for developers around the world. Laravel brings structure, speed, and simplicity to a language many had written off.

Throughout the workshop, Earnest introduced Laravel as a gateway to modern web development, highlighting its:

• Expressive and clean syntax
• Robust built-in tools like routing, authentication, and templating
• Thriving community support and frequent updates

Ease of integration with front-end frameworks like Vue.js and React

“Laravel turned what was once clunky PHP spaghetti code into something streamlined.” Earnest explained.

A Hands-On Experience for Student Developers

The Laravel workshop drew in student developers from different colleges and universities, each one geared up with their laptops and a hunger to learn. For many, it was their first real dive into a PHP framework, and Laravel offered the perfect blend of approachability and depth.

Earnest walked participants through the framework’s features, from setting up a new Laravel project using Composer to creating routes, views, and controller. The room was abuzz with keyboard taps and ‘aha!’ moments.

The goal wasn’t just to teach Laravel—it was to shift perspectives.

“You don’t need to chase every trending new framework out there,” Earnest advised. “Sometimes the best tool is one that’s been tested over time and Laravel has proven itself many times.”

Laravel in Action

To bridge the gap between theory and practice, Earnest shared a compelling story from his time at Springboard Philippines. His team was faced with a project estimated to take four weeks using traditional methods. However, after switching to Laravel, they completed it in just two weeks without cutting corners.

“Laravel’s built-in tools helped us automate tasks we usually spent hours on,” he said. “From routing to middleware and user authentication, we didn’t have to build everything from scratch.”

It was a prime example of how the right framework can supercharge a development cycle without sacrificing quality.

That wasn’t the only time Laravel proved to be a game-changer for the team. In another project, they built Robinsons Mall Dash, an e-commerce and logistics platform that allows customers to shop from multiple mall stores in one go and have everything delivered together. The project showcased Laravel’s strength in handling complex workflows, third-party integrations, and high-volume transactions, all while maintaining a smooth user experience.

In today’s tech job market, developers are often expected to know a little bit of everything. Full-stack, DevOps, cloud, AI—you name it. But Earnest emphasized a valuable lesson that often gets lost in the noise: mastery matters.

“It’s great to have a wide range of skills,” he shared, “but getting really good at one tool can set you apart. Especially if it’s as versatile and widely adopted as Laravel.”

Why Laravel Still Matters in 2025

At Springboard Philippines, Laravel is the cornerstone of the company’s development stack. The framework’s efficiency aligns perfectly with their mission to build faster without compromising quality.

Laravel’s flexibility makes it a strong contender for developers who want to go deep into backend development while still remaining adaptable. Whether you’re building a personal project, working on enterprise software, or freelancing for startups, Laravel equips you with the tools to deliver fast, secure, and scalable web applications.

As a company, Springboard builds robust digital solutions from custom web platforms to mobile apps, system automations, and full-stack digital products, serving clients across various industries.

But the team doesn’t just code. They collaborate, experiment, and continuously grow to deliver high-quality work. Laravel wasn’t just chosen because of its popularity, it’s used because it works, and it works fast.

Behind the scenes, Springboard developers are solving real-world problems every day, using technologies that prioritize efficiency, scalability, and great user experience. Whether it’s launching MVPs or scaling enterprise systems, Springboard makes sure every solution is purpose-built and future-ready.

Through workshops like this and technical leaders like Earnest, Springboard Philippines is dedicated to fostering the innovative spirits of young talents by providing them with the right resources and knowledge to continue building for the future.

To dive deeper into Springboard Philippines’ journey, values, and community impact, read Hack-it! The New Era of Banking – SpringboardLabs’ Inaugural Hackathon Event

If you’re ready to elevate your business with custom digital solutions built on a foundation of innovation and expertise, contact Springboard Philippines today.