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In a conversation with Bilyonaryo.com, IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) president and CEO Jack Madrid shared his thoughts on artificial intelligence (AI) and highlighted the need for proactive training programs.
“IBPAP recognizes that AI will augment the diverse functions and roles performed by our workforce. IBPAP prioritizes proactive upskilling and reskilling for our workforce.”
This statement supports the government's National AI Strategy Roadmap 2.0 launch and the Center for AI Research. This plan and the central AI agency were formed to address barriers to AI adaptation, like the need for more infrastructure and the lack of AI skills.
What steps can other organizations within the Philippine private sector take to align with this AI strategy and upskill their staff?
This blog post aims to answer these questions. We explore what's included in National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Roadmap 2.0, the Center for AI Research (CAIR) mandate, critical AI skills and available AI courses through DDLS Aboitiz, trading as Lumify Work Philippines.
What is the National AI Strategy? And what does it cover?
In 2024, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), launched the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Roadmap 2.0 (NAISR 2.0) and the Center for AI Research (CAIR).
The primary goals are to harness AI’s transformative potential to boost entrepreneurship and competitiveness in the country. Additionally, the DTI designed the NAISR to improve public services, facilitate the responsible use of government AI technologies, and highlight key investment areas and collaboration in research and development (R&D).
NAISR 2.0 and CAIR also support the DTI’s objectives under the Tatak Pinoy (Proudly Filipino) Act (Republic Act No. 11981) to foster innovation and promote economic diversification and industrial transformation. Read more from Disini Law Office's eLegal.
NAISR 2.0 reinforces the first AI roadmap issued in 2021. Version 1.0 refers to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Artificial Intelligence and Information & Communications Technology Roadmapping Executive Report. We can divide the previous strategy into four parts:
Talent development
AI policy and data regulation
Mission-driven programs
Infrastructure
The first strategy has two approaches to talent development:
BigTech - Attracting large international tech companies to partner with local public schools to develop a special AI-centered STEM curriculum.
Upskilling program - Training the current workforce, starting with those in the IT-BPM sector, as many Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) workers risk losing their jobs because of process automation.
Version 2.0 then upgrades national development strategies considering recent advancements like Generative AI and emerging concerns such as ethics and governance.
How does the National AI Strategy impact AI Training?
Let's look at the evolution of the National AI strategies from NAISR 1.0 to 2.0 and CAIR.
NAISR 1.0 highlighted challenges in the development of AI and ICT in the Philippines. These barriers include:
Resources and Infrastructure
R&D equipment availability and access
Talent availability
Production equipment availability & access
Funding
Policy
Procurement policy
IP policy
Ecosystem
Weak linkages between industry and academe/researcher
Weak linkages between government agencies in an innovation ecosystem
Through the BigTech and upskilling program approaches, the first roadmap hoped to produce competent professionals and students who are adept in AI and data science techniques, to promote the growth of the various sectors.
NAISR 1.0 also emphasized allocating funds for basic research. In 2021, R&D for information and communications technology and artificial intelligence existed through the DOST.
However, a review of market players in the AI sector - China, Canada, the US, the UK, and Singapore - reinforced the significance of a centralized national institution to support AI development. At that time, the DOST had started key partnerships for capacity building for artificial intelligence and data science skills. These partnerships include consultancy agreements with private research firms and firms that deliver AI courses.
Fast-forward to 2025, and the expanded initiatives under NAISR 2.0 seek to address the now-mainstream use of generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. This updated strategy includes more comprehensive AI training programs and increased funding for AI education.
Anchored on the two pillars of implementation and innovation, NAISR 2.0 consists of seven strategic imperatives:
Building a robust, connected and networked environment
Improving data access and data value extraction
Transforming education and nurturing future AI talents
Upskilling and reskilling the workforce
Building on AI Ecosystem “Conscience”
Mastering and pushing the boundaries of AI
Accelerating innovation with AI
CAIR was formed to be the country’s first AI hub to address the need for a centralized national AI institution. The big, hairy, audacious goal is establishing the Philippines as a leader in multiple AI application areas by promoting socio-economic R&D and strengthening the country’s knowledge and competitiveness in science and technology. The Center will house AI experts who will create AI solutions for regional concerns such as sustainable agriculture, urban planning, and disaster resilience.
Critical AI Skills to be developed
Organizations looking to address the issues highlighted in NAISR 1.0 and align with initiatives from NAISR 2.0 can start with an AI skills gap analysis and engage a training partner like DDLS Aboitiz, trading as Lumify Work Philippines to build an AI training and certification program for staff.
Consider targeting the following AI skills when planning your learning and development initiatives. They range from advanced AI engineer skills to end user and leadership skills.
Machine Learning (ML): This branch of AI focuses on developing algorithms and models so computers can learn and make decisions or predictions without being explicitly programmed for specific tasks. ML can potentialy reshape various industries like healthcare, finance, and manufacturing. A 2024 University of the Philippines Los Baños study by E. Onsay and J. Rabajante offers a crucial use case in disaster response. They propose using a combination of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and ML to forecast natural disasters in the Bicol region. So, the need for ML specialists is dire.
Generative AI (Gen AI): Skills in developing and deploying generative AI models, such as those used for content creation, design, and simulation, are in demand. According to Statista, the market size in the Generative AI market will reach US$141.50m in 2024. Individual professionals share this same optimism. Speaking to BusinessWorld, Boston Consulting Group’s (BCG) Global Advantage Practice shared that Filipinos use Gen AI to “help them get ahead in their careers.” Their study found that in the Philippines, 38% said they are excited about Gen AI. Although, 43% said they are conflicted. Establishing policies around the responsible use of AI can address this conflict.
Natural Language Processing (NLP): Expertise in NLP is crucial for creating AI systems that understand and interact with human language. NLP is experiencing growth in the Philippines, driven by increasing demand for AI-based solutions in healthcare, finance, and customer service. According to Statista, the market size is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2024-2030) of 27.55%.
Computer Vision: Professionals skilled in computer vision are needed to develop systems that interpret and make decisions based on visual data. This includes facial recognition in airports, object detection, and quality control in manufacturing. 6WResearch notes that the need for automation and enhanced data analysis across various industries drives this growth in demand. Businesses are increasingly integrating computer vision to automate processes and improve quality control.
AI Integration and Deployment: There is a clear gap between the high optimism for AI adoption and actual AI readiness in the Philippines. Learning to integrate AI solutions into existing systems and deploying them is essential to closing this gap. Deloitte Philippines found that only 22% of industry leaders were confident in their organization’s readiness. Only 47% of organizations believe they are adequately educating their employees on the impact of AI tools. More than half of surveyed Filipino CEOs (54%) report that their businesses have yet to integrate AI tools.
Multi-Agent Systems (MAS): OpenGenus defines MAS as a collection of autonomous agents that interact with each other and their environment to achieve individual or collective goals. These agents can be physical entities like robots or software-based, like computer programs. Use cases include Automated Bidding Systems in E-commerce. MAS is also used in Swarm Robotics, in which robots behave like natural systems (a flock of birds or a colony of ants) to perform dangerous tasks like search and rescue and toxic spill cleanups. So, proficiency in MAS is becoming increasingly important.
AI Ethics and Governance: AI will reshape businesses, industries and economies. And this raises some concerns. According to Deloitte Philippines, 51% of Filipino industry leaders believe AI adoption can worsen economic inequality. 49% believe AI may lower trust in national and global institutions. According to PwC Philippines, 69% of Filipino CEOs believe AI tools will increase cyber security risk. 57% believe AI will spread misinformation. IT Solutions company Yondu lists several AI laws currently in discussion at the 19th Congress of the House of Representatives, including House Bills 7913, 7983, 7396 and 9448. So, end users, tech specialists and business leaders must be versed in the responsible use of AI.
AI Skills Training to Align with the NAISR 2.0
AI skills training isn't nice to have; it's a critical aspect of your business strategy. It is part of the national government mandate, and employees are eager for it. A 2023 study by The Economist Impact and Google found that 42% of Filipino employees want to gain new digital skills related to AI and Machine Learning (ML), among others — higher than their Asia-Pacific neighbors (33%).
Despite this, around 41% of Filipinos said that poor internet access is a major AI skilling challenge, while nearly 40% said they don’t have the time to invest in learning new skills.
Leaders and professionals in government, telecommunications, IT, banking, finance, education, and business process management can explore our 1–5-day AI courses in the Philippines.
The team at DDLS Aboitiz, trading as Lumify Work Philippines, compiled some of the best AI courses to address the demand for specific AI skills. They are available in partnership with BigTech vendors like Microsoft and AWS, as well as Nexacu, our sister organization that offers end-user applications training in Asia Pacific.
Microsoft AI Courses
Microsoft MS-4004/4005 - Empower the Workforce with Copilot and Understand Prompt Engineering - Discover ways to craft effective and contextual prompts that create, simplify, transform, and compile content across Microsoft 365 applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, OneNote, and Chat.
Copilot Studio in a Day (IAD) - This one-day, instructor-led workshop focuses on hands-on activities using Microsoft Power Platform, specifically Microsoft Copilot Studio and Power Automate. Learn NLP, too.
Microsoft PL-7008 - Create Agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio - This one-day course will teach students how to create custom agents in Copilot Studio and provide the opportunity to practice their skills with a guided project.
Microsoft AI-900T00 - Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals - Learn fundamental artificial intelligence (AI) concepts and the services in Microsoft Azure that you can use to create AI solutions. These include ML, NLP and MAS.
Microsoft AI-102T00 - Designing and Implementing a Microsoft Azure AI Solution - Learn about AI Integration and Deployment. This course is intended for software developers who want to build AI-infused applications using Azure AI Services, Azure AI Search, and Azure OpenAI. The course will use C# or Python as the programming language.
Microsoft AI-3004 - Build an Azure AI Vision Solution with Azure AI Services - Learn AI Integration and Deployment. Gain the skills to provision an Azure AI vision resource, analyze an image and more. This one-day course prepares you for an Applied Skills credential.
AWS AI Courses
AWS AI Practitioner Essentials - Gain in-demand knowledge of AI, ML, and GenAI concepts and use cases. The course prepares students for the AWS Certified AI Practitioner exam.
Developing Generative AI Applications on AWS - This two-day course is designed to introduce GenAI to software developers interested in leveraging large language models without fine-tuning.
Nexacu AI courses
AI Prompting Fundamentals - This comprehensive one-day course is designed to provide students with a solid foundation in GenAI and NLP.
AI for Business Leaders and Managers - This one-day course is designed for business managers and leaders who are looking to equip themselves, their business, or their divisions for AI Integration and Deployment.
Introduction to Responsible AI in Practice - Learn about AI Ethics and Governance. In this one-day course, you will do a high-level exploration of Google's recommended best practices for responsible AI usage across different areas of focus: Fairness, Interpretability, Privacy and Safety.
For more information, access Lumify Work's Data Analytics & AI eBook or enquire about our Data Analytics & AI courses and training paths.
