The University of the Cordilleras (UC) in Baguio, Philippines, developed CrimeXperience, an extended reality system that simulates crime and safety scenarios for crime scene investigation training. It is built for forensic science and criminal justice education, with the aim of giving students a virtual scene that closely resembles a real one instead of a physical set that takes a lot of time to create.
The project sits in UC's College of Criminal Justice, led by Dr. Christian T. Pascual, and is at prototype stage. It was unveiled at the North Luzon Technology Transfer and Innovation Summit 2026 at the Ilocandia Cultural Center in Batac City, Ilocos Norte, where visitors tried the VR simulation on a Meta Quest headset.
How it works
The system combines three parts on one forensic-science curriculum:
- a web learning management system
- a mobile augmented reality app
- a virtual reality app for Meta Quest headsets
Partners and funding
UC developed the project with the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) and the PNP Regional Office Cordillera (PRO-CAR). PRO-CAR and UC formalized their partnership in November 2024, and the PNPA partnership was signed at the UC campus in Baguio in April 2025. The PNPA director personally tried the simulation and expressed full support for the project.
CrimeXperience is funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and monitored by the DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development.
Public showcase
At the summit, UC technology transfer associate Jimmy P. Semetara Jr. said a virtual crime scene is more convenient for students than building a physical one. A third-year Mariano Marcos State University student who tried it described it as realistic and easy to operate. DOST-CAR also reported UC showing the technology at the 2026 Handa Pilipinas Luzon Leg.
