The Philippines’ first artificial intelligence (AI) governance framework is expected to be finalized in two months, according to the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev), and the measure is seen to close the country’s AI readiness gap compared to its regional peers.
The framework will follow the ecosystem of the National Innovation Agenda and Strategy.
“We want an AI development and deployment that will safeguard the sovereignty and long term sustainability of the Philippine economy and society through the responsible use of AI. It should enable innovation by establishing a supportive and adaptive environment for AI research, development, and deployment,” DEPDev Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon said.
“It adopts a human-centered and rights-based approach to AI, ensuring that systems uphold dignity, equity, and societal well-being. It ensures data privacy, security, and accountability while enforcing robust safeguards for data owners, developers, and even users,” she added.
Figures from the International Monetary Fund showed that developing economies, including the Philippines, scored below 0.11 in the AI preparedness index.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s 2025 Digital Government Index also gave the country a score of 0.28 out of 1, which is the third lowest among the eight Southeast Asian countries covered by the study, well below the regional average of 0.37.
Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said that the framework is expected to close or at least reduce the readiness gap, noting that AI is expected to contribute 10 to 18 percent of gross domestic product in the ASEAN region by 2030.
DEPDev’s framework will serve as the government’s formal policy, while the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Information and Communications Technology will continue implementing AI programs across sectors, such as education, health, and agriculture.
If it has not yet changed the world, the general consensus is that AI will play a significant role in the coming years. As such, nations have to be ready to maximize its advantages and minimize the impacts, especially on the vulnerable members of the population. The country with the most comprehensive and forward-looking artificial intelligence governance framework will have a huge advantage.
Let us hope that the Philippines is one of those.*
