The Philippines is making steady progress in global artificial intelligence (AI) readiness rankings, with its strengths in people, data and understanding of local challenges giving it an advantage, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato Solidum said Monday.

In his keynote address at the opening of the 2026 AI Festival in Iloilo City, Solidum said the country’s AI development should focus on creating technologies that address real-world Filipino needs.

“Progress isn’t about creating technologies that are nice to have; it is about building technologies we need to have,” he said.

Solidum said the National AI Strategy of the Philippines (NAIS-PH), a whole-of-government roadmap, was developed to guide the country’s development, deployment and management of AI technologies.

He identified talent development as a key component of AI readiness, requiring collaboration among academic institutions, government agencies and the private sector.

“To accelerate that, we need to upskill people,” Solidum said during a press conference.

He cited Western Visayas as an example of regional collaboration, noting its partnerships among DOST, academic institutions and local governments to strengthen AI capabilities.

“Talent development is really an important thing aside from the compute power,” he said, adding that computing resources can be supported by the private sector and different levels of government.

Solidum said AI is no longer just a trend but a general-purpose technology that will have a major impact on industries, public services and global competitiveness.

He also recognized Western Visayas for being the first region in the country to have its Regional Development Council launch an AI Action Plan for 2025-2030 and adopt an AI Governance and Ethics Policy for high-risk applications, including hiring, lending and public safety.

The AI Festival, themed “Building an AI-Ready Future, Together,” promotes the practical, ethical and collaborative use of AI in governance, industry, education, research and the creative sector.

The event runs until Aug. 5 and features a technical conference, hackathon, AI Expo, SineAI, AI Game On, AI in Motion, AI Speaks, AI Connect and AI Policy Lab. (PNA)