Philippine Open-Source AI Science Tutor Hiraia Enters Early Alpha, Runs Offline on Entry-Level Android Phones

Hiraia, an open-source AI science tutor created by Filipino blockchain entrepreneur Luis Buenaventura, has entered early alpha (v0.3.1) and runs offline on entry-level Android phones without internet access. It teaches science in Tagalog, Bisaya, and English, with 40,000 science facts and 30,000 illustrations aligned with the Philippine Department of Education's Matatag curriculum. The app is powered by SEA AI Lab's Sailor 2 and Qwen 3.5-2B models, has an installer of about 4GB, and received a ₱1 million grant from the Tether Foundation.

The app aligns offline AI tutoring directly with the Philippine Department of Education's Matatag curriculum and explicitly targets public school students. If pilots confirm safety and accuracy, it could change how students in areas with weak connectivity access science learning resources. Its impact depends on school pilot results and device compatibility; it is currently in early alpha, and no independent research or quantitative learning-outcome data is available. Filipino public school students can use a local AI science tutor without internet access, reducing dependence on connectivity. Peer-to-peer distribution and a fallback for older devices broaden access on entry-level Android phones.