The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has launched an eight-year national infrastructure roadmap that calls for an estimated $34.4 billion in public and private investments to prepare the Philippines for large-scale artificial intelligence deployment.
The Philippine AI+ Infrastructure Masterplan (PAIIM) 2026–2033, developed with the Asian Development Bank, was formally launched on Sept. 8 at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria in Quezon City.
The roadmap was approved by Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in his capacity as chair of the Economy and Development Council, according to the DICT.
“This is our roadmap to make the Philippines more AI-ready — from stronger connectivity, AI computing and data centers, sustainable energy, and digital talent including policies that will help grow the AI ecosystem in the country,” the agency said.
The master plan seeks to increase the country’s AI computing capacity from about 50 megawatts at present to 1.5 gigawatts by 2033, representing a 30-fold expansion.
Its flagship project is a public-private AI compute and data hub estimated to cost $14.65 billion. The first phase, covering 2026 to 2030, targets the deployment of 400 MW of AI-optimized data center capacity. A second phase from 2030 to 2033 would add about 1,100 MW.
Around $5.48 billion of the project cost is expected to come from public sources, while private partners would provide about $9.17 billion, mainly for technical fit-outs, servers, graphics processing units, and other computing systems.
Across the entire master plan, about $18.2 billion is already included in existing government programs covering digital connectivity and energy infrastructure. Another $16.3 billion would have to be mobilized through additional public spending and private-sector participation.
By 2033, the government expects the program to attract between $8 billion and $12 billion in private investment for hyperscale digital infrastructure. It also projects that AI adoption could increase national gross domestic product by 10% to 12%, although the document describes these figures as expected outcomes rather than guaranteed gains.
The plan covers six areas: digital connectivity, AI computing and data centers, energy security and sustainability, workforce development, policy and regulation, and the creation of demand for AI services.
Among its workforce targets are training more than 1.3 million professionals for AI-related work, creating over 500,000 AI-related jobs, and generating another 175,000 jobs from infrastructure projects.
The roadmap also proposes nationwide fiber and 5G upgrades, additional international Internet gateways, high-performance computing access for students, AI and data science subjects in schools, specialized visa programs for foreign AI professionals, and tax and import incentives for data center investors.
The government’s ambitions, however, face significant energy and infrastructure constraints. The master plan warns that the country’s power system could approach its limits by 2027 unless additional capacity is built. A 1.5-GW AI data center industry would consume a substantial portion of the available power reserve and could increase pressure on the grid and electricity prices.
Transmission bottlenecks, high power costs, limited access to enterprise-grade GPUs, and inadequate water-treatment systems in some industrial areas were also identified as risks. Large AI data centers require substantial electricity and water for computing and cooling operations.
The DICT said implementation would involve several government agencies as well as industry, academic institutions, and development partners.
