Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has officially approved the National AI Strategy for the Philippines (NAIS-PH) during a Sectoral Meeting held in Malacañang on Tuesday, May 20, charting a clear path for the country’s AI-driven future.
The strategy aims to harness the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to benefit all sectors of society while ensuring a careful and responsible approach to its implementation.
In his remarks, Marcos emphasized the importance of identifying the most effective applications of AI technology to address the Philippines’ unique challenges.
“As AI technology rapidly evolves, we must be strategic in how we apply it to meet the country’s needs, ensuring it benefits every Filipino,” said Marcos.
He also highlighted the necessity of mitigating potential risks while maximizing the positive impact of AI.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) was tasked by Marcos last March to spearhead the development of a comprehensive AI framework.
This initiative has now culminated in the creation of the NAIS-PH, a roadmap designed in consultation with AI experts, government agencies, the private sector, and academic institutions.
The NAIS-PH outlines the Philippine government’s AI Program Framework, emphasizing key areas critical to AI adoption and implementation:
- Infrastructure – Strengthening the foundational systems needed to support AI technologies.
- Workforce – Developing a skilled workforce capable of driving and adapting to AI advancements.
- Innovation – Fostering AI research, development, and industry innovation.
- Data Governance and Policy – Establishing robust policies for ethical AI data use, privacy protection, and regulatory compliance.
- AI Deployment – Ensuring that AI is deployed across sectors to drive inclusive growth, innovation, and efficiency.
The strategy envisions that by 2028, AI will be a driving force for inclusive innovation, enhancing governance, uplifting local communities, and enabling the country to build globally competitive industries.
As a testament to the nation’s progress in AI development, the Philippines has seen an impressive leap in its ranking in the Government AI Readiness Index 2024, improving to 56th place from 65th in 2023.
The index, published by Oxford Insights, measures the ability of countries to integrate AI into public services and is based on the core pillars of government, technology sector, and data infrastructure.
