THE Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev) is set to release the country’s first-ever governance framework on artificial intelligence (AI) in the coming months, as the government moves to accelerate adoption across regions.
DepDev Undersecretary Rosemarie G. Edillon said the draft framework, now under consultation, aims to guide the responsible development and deployment of AI while supporting innovation and long-term economic goals.
“Our goal is to have a trusted, inclusive, and ethical AI ecosystem that accelerates innovation and drives a globally competitive Philippines,” Edillon said at the 2026 National Innovation Day celebration held in Manila.
The planned framework centers on four policy directions: safeguarding national interests and sustainability, enabling innovation through better access to data and infrastructure, adopting a human-centered approach, and ensuring data privacy, security, and accountability.
It will also cover the full AI lifecycle—from problem identification and data collection to model development, testing, deployment, monitoring, and eventual retirement—ensuring oversight at each stage of the process.
Edillon said the government is building on existing laws, including those on data privacy, cybersecurity, and e-commerce, which already address parts of the AI ecosystem.
However, gaps remain in areas such as ethics, accountability, and data governance, which the new framework seeks to address.
Among the risks identified are cybersecurity threats, ethical concerns, intellectual property issues, and the environmental cost of AI infrastructure, particularly energy-intensive data centers.
Structural constraints, including gaps in digital infrastructure, limited AI-ready data, and a shortage of skilled workers, also pose challenges to adoption.
In a separate interview, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said these challenges highlight why governance must evolve alongside technology, stressing that AI presents both opportunities and risks.
“Just like any technologies, they can be misused and used improperly to the risk of other people,” Balisacan said, emphasizing the need for accountability and stronger safeguards.
At the same time, he said the government is pushing for a more targeted approach to adoption, focusing on “small AI” or localized solutions that respond to specific needs across regions and sectors.
“The focus for us is really to describe it as small AI, localized,” Balisacan said, noting that applications in agriculture, education, and health can be tailored to local conditions rather than relying solely on large-scale systems.
He added that while AI offers strong growth potential, especially as digital commerce expands, adoption will depend on addressing key constraints such as energy supply, internet access, and workforce readiness.
“The opportunities are huge, the benefits are huge, but we need to ensure that the technology does not pose harm to anyone,” he said.
The framework draws from global and regional models but will be tailored to local conditions.
The DepDev said consultations with stakeholders will continue before the framework is finalized.
