DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. speaks at the 2025 National Innovation Day celebration held on April 30 at Novotel Manila, where he highlighted the agency’s key initiatives in advancing innovation through its diverse research and development programs. (Photo by Karen Vivien Conducto, DOST-Office of the Secretary)
It is not surprising to hear how Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been shaping local healthcare, agriculture, education, and disaster resilience. In many cases, AI is making a real difference, opening up tremendous opportunities for the Philippines.
Generative and spatial AI are driving personalized learning, climate-smart cities, precision farming, disaster response, smart energy, autonomous transport, national security, and financial inclusion—boosting education, sustainability, resilience, safety, and economic access through innovations like AI tutors, predictive systems, and automated services across diverse sectors.
But for Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr., innovation must be accessible, ethical, and responsive to real societal needs.
In his keynote message at the 2025 National Innovation Day celebration held on April 30 at Novotel in Quezon City, Sec. Solidum shared that the DOST has proposed a National AI Strategy for the Philippines (NAIS Ph).
“Building on these milestones and the momentum of a whole-of-government approach, it is now time to take the next bold step. To ensure that our efforts are strategic, inclusive, and future-ready, we are proposing a National AI Strategy for the Philippines or NAIS Ph. Ito ang ‘NAIS’ natin para sa Bagong Pilipinas,” said Sec. Solidum.
He explained that the DOST envisions a unified national strategy where AI powers inclusive innovation, strengthens governance, uplifts communities, and drives globally competitive industries.
According to him, the Philippine AI Program Framework will guide the development, deployment, and governance of AI in the country through 2028.
“Current efforts are focused on building infrastructure, strengthening skills, advancing technologies, and shaping policies. At the center are five core strategies: infrastructure, workforce, innovation, ethics and policy, and deployment—all phased from 2024 to 2028,” said Sec. Solidum.
These strategies, he added, will support AI applications in agriculture, education, smart cities, creative industries, and national security. Key institutions such as DICT, DOST, DepEd, CHED, TESDA, DTI, DOLE, and PSA are driving these efforts. Together with the private sector, they aim to shape a cohesive AI ecosystem.
“Ultimately, by 2028, we [DOST] envision a future where AI powers inclusive innovation, strengthens governance, uplifts communities, and drives globally competitive industries, building a sustainable, tech-enabled future for all Filipinos,” said Sec. Solidum.
DOST’s call for a collaborative AI ecosystem
To fully realize this vision, the strategy centers on building a Collaborative AI Ecosystem anchored on four key elements.
The AI Factory focuses on workforce development, infrastructure, governance, policy, and ethics to accelerate AI integration. The AI Refinery drives research, development, and innovation by connecting hubs, the private sector, and academe to real-world applications. Together with government, industry, academia, international partners, and the public, this ecosystem aims to empower communities and enable broad AI adoption across society.
Sec. Solidum also underscored the importance of upskilling and reskilling the country’s workforce. To achieve this, the DOST is encouraging higher education institutions to expand their offerings in AI micro-credentials and continuing education programs.
“For DOST, we will also leverage platforms like Coursera and SPARTA for scalable, fast-track learning. To improve course completion rates, we will encourage trainees to have a clear AI deployment plan before enrollment and work closely with organizations to ensure that newly acquired skills are directly applied in the workplace,” said Sec. Solidum.
AI-driven research and scientific computing
According to Sec. Solidum, the Philippines is set to boost its research and innovation capacity with a 26-fold increase in high-performance computing (HPC) power by 2028. This massive upgrade will be accompanied by enhanced global network connectivity, supporting AI-driven research collaborations and positioning the country as a regional leader in digital transformation.
A cornerstone of this effort is the establishment of a National HPC Center, complemented by new regional HPC sites that will bring advanced computing resources closer to researchers across the country. Solidum emphasized that beyond infrastructure, the strategy hinges on strong partnerships—regional, national, and industry-based—to build a resilient and globally competitive R&D ecosystem.
The DOST is also advancing decentralized AI adoption by equipping its regional offices to promote AI solutions to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and local industries. An AI Hub (i-Hub) will serve as a matchmaking center, assessing regional needs and connecting industries to tailored AI solutions powered by autonomous AI agents.
“These investments ensure the Philippines is not just participating but helping shape the future of AI and scientific computing,” Solidum said, underscoring the country’s ambition to lead in innovation and technological advancement. (By Allan Mauro V. Marfal, DOST-STII)