This open-source AI science tutor was built for Filipinos and can work offline on entry-level Android phones. Hiraia teaches science in Tagalog, Bisaya, and English. It aims to help public school students who often struggle with limited internet access.
The app was created by Filipino blockchain entrepreneur Luis Buenaventura. He started the project after World Bank data showed Filipino 15-year-olds falling behind in math and science compared to peers in Singapore.
Hiraia does not rely on cloud-based AI, running directly on the phone. This makes it useful in areas without internet or reliable mobile data.
The app is powered by SEA AI Lab’s Sailor 2 and Qwen 3.5-2B models. It comes with 40,000 science facts and 30,000 illustrations aligned with the Department of Education’s Matatag curriculum. All content is pre-checked to reduce errors and ensure visuals are safe for kids.
The installer is about 4GB. To make sharing easier, Hiraia uses Pears, a peer-to-peer protocol that lets one device download and share the app locally. For older phones that cannot run the AI model, the app still offers offline flashcards and quizzes.
The app is now in early alpha (v0.3.1) with no ads, no account registration, and no personal data collection. Development was supported by a ₱1 million grant from the Tether Foundation.
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Buenaventura is looking for schools to pilot-test Hiraia to check safety, accuracy, and effectiveness. If successful, the app could give more Filipino students access to science lessons even without internet.
You can visit hiraia.org for more details.
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