By: Aubrey Camille J. Perez
Research and Content Coordinator
Institute of Corporate Directors
On January 30, 2025, the Global AI Council Philippines hosted the State of the Nation in AI (SONAI) 2025 at the GSIS Theater. It brought together stakeholders from different industries to discuss the future of AI in the country. The event supported the mission of uniting existing AI organizations with the assistance of the Global AI Council with the help of private and public sector partners.
Ms. Catherine Denise Jalandoni, GICD, Executive Director of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) and the Global AI Council Philippines, was present at the event. Dr. Donald Lim, FICD, Mr. Michael Calma, FICD, Ms. Imelda Tiongson, FICD, Atty. Mark Gorriceta, MICD (moderator) and Mr. Henry Aguda, FICD (moderator), contributed to the panel discussions.
Segment 1: Navigating the AI Frontier: A Government Agency Viewpoint
The first segment featured AI developments in the Philippines from the viewpoints of government agencies. Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John Uy highlighted President Marcos Jr.'s "Bagong Pilipinas" vision, focusing on AI's potential for economic growth, public service efficiency, and digital resilience, with the National Broadband Program ensuring universal connectivity across the Philippines. The second keynote speech was delivered by Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato Solidum Jr., who revealed DOST’s ambition for the Philippines' AI industry, along with a projection of a 12% GDP increase ($92 billion) by 2030. Dr. Donald Lim, FICD, and President of the Global AI Council Philippines, delivered the welcome remarks and was part of the panel for this session. Atty. Mark Gorriceta, MICD, and the Corporate Secretary of the Global AI Council Philippines, moderated the panel discussion.
Segment 2: Frontier AI
The Director of Digital Technology at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Mr. Antonio Zaballos, presented a roadmap for digital transformation in the Asia-Pacific, with an emphasis on ADB's focus on creating an inclusive, resilient, and sustainable AI ecosystem. He introduced the "Beetle hub" concept and urged the Philippines to boost regional connectivity and become a data powerhouse to align with its digitalization goals. Mr. Zaballos highlighted ADB's new digital sector that is focused on three pillars: digital infrastructure, policy frameworks and skills training, and cybersecurity. He also stressed the importance of balancing AI supply and demand using targeted policies and a thriving startup ecosystem in the Philippines to promote growth.
Segment 3: AI: Driving Change in Key Industries
Mr. Unni Pillai, Head of Technology at Amazon Web Services Philippines, discussed the rapid evolution of AI and predicted that 2025 would mark the transition of generative AI into production due to the widespread adoption of ChatGPT. He outlined four key AI innovation areas (experiences, productivity, insights, and creativity) and introduced concepts such as Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) and model distillation for specialization. Mr. Pillai emphasized the importance of starting with small projects to focus on skill development and data governance. Also, he said that areas like customer service needed seamless customer experiences, omnichannel personalization, and AI applications. Mr. Michael Calma, FICD, Country Manager of ADVANCE.AI, is one of the panelists for this segment.
Segment 4: Empowering Consumer in the AI Era
The growing impact of AI in everyday life was talked about by Ms. Sara Venturina, Chief Data Officer of GCash, who showcased how GCash uses AI to drive financial inclusion through features like the G score system and personalized user experiences. She discussed the challenges of AI adoption in the Philippines, including the skills gap and potential job displacement, while emphasizing GCash's upskilling efforts and ethical AI practices, such as bias checks and governance frameworks. Ms. Venturina concluded by stressing the importance of public-private partnerships in advancing AI adoption and ensuring responsible innovation for consumer empowerment. The panel includes ICD fellows and trustees, with Mr. Henry Aguda, FICD, who moderated the discussion, and Ms. Imelda Tiongson, FICD, who joined as one of the panelists.
Segment 5: Future Forward: Building a Fair and Inclusive Society With AI
Mr. Brian Poe Llamanzares, Global AI Council Philippines’ Chairman, shared a vision for the nation's AI future that emphasizes the importance of fostering thoughtful conversations on AI's opportunities and challenges. He introduced a report on AI's impact, highlighting its role in enhancing accessibility and efficiency across sectors, and advocated for research and development (R&D) investment to support the Philippines' AI growth. Mr. Llamanzares urged the country to leverage AI for rapid innovation by drawing a parallel to the Philippines' success in the BPO industry and positioning the state as a key player in the global AI ecosystem.
Overall, SONAI 2025 served as an important platform for sharing exciting developments in the state of AI in the country. The event emphasized the role of AI in making services more accessible across both the public and private sectors. It pointed out the need for collaboration, innovation, and responsible AI adoption to promote inclusive growth and technological progress. Additionally, it highlighted the importance of AI governance across various institutions to ensure that AI is used fairly, responsibly, and ethically in fostering developments for the advancement of the country.
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