By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
MANILA HOTEL — The two-day 1st National Artificial Intelligence Stakeholders’ Conference, led by the DOST, in partnership with other national agencies and partners was held here on Monday (Oct. 13).
The National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (NAIS-PH) promotes the ethical, secure, and long-term development of AI technologies within a collaborative ecosystem, aiming to empower communities and industries.
During the conference, DOST Advanced Science & Technology Institute (ASTI) Dir. Franz De Leon said that the High AI adoption is the top 2 global employer in the BPO industry employing 1.7 million with US$35 billion.
“Our ASEAN neighbors have invested heavily on AI,” De Leon said.
The DIMER is developed in partnership with MMDA Traffic Engineering Center.
This is the nation advancing computing, analytics, big data & AI In the Philippines.
He stressed the strategic necessity: The National AI Center for Research and Innovation.
DICT Asec. Luis Miguel Planas said that the flow is faster than ever before.
“Knives and bombs do not themselves decide whom to kill…” Planas quoted as one of the most famous quotes that is in contrast with Ai.
Artificial intelligence is not just another technology trend.
Infrastructure, people, and guardrails are the three frameworks of AI
A National Fiber Backbone has been established by the DICT.
“Our greatest asset is our people,” Planas said.
“We are currently upskilling our people at the DICT,” he added.
ASEAN AI Safety Network is also currently being established.
EGov AI and Tala Ai are the two first AI-assisted apps done by the DICT.
“We are applying protocols in different apps,” Planas said.
He cited the Konektadong Pinoy Act, which recently lapsed into law, and the egov Act or RA No. 12254, which was recently signed into law by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.
Converge ICT’s Role in Philippine Sovereign AI Infrastructure
Converge ICT is the leading fixed broadband and fiber network operator in the Phillipines.
It also operates one of the largest nationwide fiber backbones with subsea connectivity.
During the press conference, DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum, Jr. said
“Ai is a very important tool and we are already using it”
“Our goal here is to work with everyone, the academe and other stakeholders,” Solidum added .
The private sector is investing heavily on infrastructure need for AI. I
“Even the R&D of the DOST needs improvement on AI infrastructure,” he said.
“We have already invested P2.3 Billion on AI since 2024,” he added.
Solidum stressed “We are not only preparing apps for hazard or risk maps but also for the LGUs through the power of analytics and AI.”
“If you want to use AI, you have to have the data set. Unless you don’t have it, you can’t use AI,” Solidum said.
“We have funding many MSMEs, some of them are using AI,” he added.
“We have the Center for AI,” Solidum said.
“We don’t have direct engagement on defense and security. We deal with food and health through science and innovation,” he added.
“In the NAIS, we ask the other agencies on connectivity, the governance on DICT, we are on R&D, and DepEd on education,” Solidum said.
“Any introduction of technology, there is always the challenge for the people to understand and accept it,” he said.
“We now have to look at the ethical use of AI — life. Ethics before AI,” he said.
“Critical thinking is very important. We have integrated I t the Philippine high school,” HE
Usec. Leah J. Buendia said that to have the NAIS is to strengthen the academe and partnership.
“All the infrastructures needed before the Ai. Retaining the talent is the name of the game,” Buendia said.
“I think we also have to enhance our investment on Ai,” she added.
“We also have to strengthen the trust on science and innovation, otherwise, we won’t be able to adapt on AI,” Buendia said.
Sherwin Pelayo, Executive Director of Analytics & AI Association of the Philippine, said that journalists are not working by AI but augmented by AI.
“We both urge the House and the Senate to pass legislative measures on trustworthy and reliable AI,” Pelayo said.
“There is plan to integrate AI in Grade IV on the part of DepEd in Region 3,” Pelayo said.
DICT Asec. Luis Miguel Planas said that the DICT has already put up the fiber network backbone.
“At the DICT, we don’t still have the policy guidelines on AI,” Planas said.
“The art created by people will be appreciated more and the art created by A wll create ts pwn industry,” he added.
Planas stressed that the problem on “block chain” , which is heavily data-laden, is that the people don’t know what they are dealing with.
Michelle Alarcon, President of Analytics & AI Association of the Philippines, said that
We have been seen at AI seen 2016 that’s why we are here in support of the NAIS.
“We have to distinguish between the classical and generative AI,” Alarcon said.
“But it’s not an excuse that the use of generative AI is still low,” she added.
“Another study says that it’s 70% generative AI adoption,” Alarcon said.
“In the NAIS, we need all those AI data and analytics,” she added.
“The use of AI should also be ethical. The planning and design is also included in AI. Let’s balance the use of AI,” Alarcon said.
“We have to solidify the justification for sovereign AI. It’s not just like putting all things in one place. It’s the problems that can be addressed by Ai,” she added.
“We don’t have yet the egovernance framework now. Where should the policy be defined now?,” Alarcon said.
“We still don’t have to penalize, especially if it’s not in the Philippines,” she added.
Alarcon that the conference is important in the sense that the NAIS should have been there since 2019.
“We call on the media to highlight the benefits of AI,” Alarcon said.
Dr. Enrico Paringt, Executive Director of DOST-PCIEERD, cted the distribution of high computing computers.
Dr. Paringit mentioned the lack of AI hubs in the regions where the highly-urbanized regions can connect.
He said that there are many projects that have been approved and published, but have not yet passed the review by the Ethics Board.
`What is the intended use in your final product,” Dr. Paringit said.
He was referring to one of the questions that need to be answered.
“What is important is that we have the goal. We have the deliverables,” Dr. Paringit said. ###
