Philippines - National AI Strategy (NAISR 1.0)

Overview

The National AI Strategy Roadmap (NAISR 1.0) was publicly introduced in May 2021 by the Department of Trade and Industry as the Philippines’ first comprehensive national roadmap to guide AI adoption and to harness AI for economic transformation and public-service improvement. The roadmap sets out strategic objectives across infrastructure, workforce development, research & development, governance and targeted sector deployment. NAISR 1.0 is explicitly designed as a coordinative and catalytic policy instrument: it outlines priorities, recommended institutional roles, funding and partnership modalities rather than prescriptive regulations. NAISR 1.0 is referenced in later government actions, including the DTI launch of NAISR 2.0 and the government’s establishment of a Center for AI Research; official communications about these are available from the DTI NAISR 2.0 launch and the DTI archive of the 2021 AI roadmap launch keynote launch material.

Definitions

NAISR 1.0 uses operational definitions common in national AI strategies: "AI" is used to mean systems that perform tasks commonly associated with human cognition using data-driven models; "deployment" refers to operational adoption of AI in products, services, or public administration; "N-CAIR" or National Center for AI Research refers to the proposed national research hub; "MSMEs" denotes micro, small and medium enterprises; and "data governance" covers technical, legal and institutional arrangements for data sharing and stewardship, subject to the Data Privacy Act (RA 10173). The roadmap distinguishes between strategic guidance (policy priorities and capacity-building) and legally binding instruments (statutes, regulations) to be developed by relevant agencies.

Governance and Institutional Framework

NAISR 1.0 recommends a whole-of-government approach with clear coordination roles. The DTI is identified as a lead economic and industry driver for adoption and private-sector engagement; the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is tasked with R&D leadership; the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is indicated for digital infrastructure and enabling services; and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is referenced for alignment with the national development plan. The roadmap proposes establishing or supporting a centralized research hub (N-CAIR) to convene academia, industry and government research projects, and to provide technical guidance on standards and testing. These governance proposals were referenced and amplified in subsequent official releases, including DTI’s NAISR 2.0 launch and the government’s Center for AI Research announcements; see DTI’s coverage of the NAISR 2.0 and CAIR launch here and DOST’s later AI strategy planning materials here.

Key Focus Areas

NAISR 1.0 organizes national action into several focus areas: (1) Infrastructure — investments in connectivity, cloud and high-performance computing to support AI workloads and public services; (2) Workforce & Skills — curricula updates, upskilling/reskilling programs and talent retention to build a domestic AI workforce; (3) Research, Innovation & N-CAIR — strengthening R&D capacity, public-private research projects and centers of excellence to move beyond adoption to domestic innovation; (4) Data Governance & Platforms — promoting interoperable data architectures and secure sharing mechanisms consistent with the Data Privacy Act and NPC guidance; (5) Regulatory & Ethical Foundations — initiating workstreams for ethics, safety, and risk management to prepare for future regulations and sectoral standards; and (6) Sector Deployment — prioritized use cases across agriculture, manufacturing, health, finance, education and public administration to deliver socio-economic benefits. The roadmap places an emphasis on MSME inclusion and regional diffusion so that AI benefits are not concentrated only in major urban centers.

Implementation Framework

Implementation proposed under NAISR 1.0 is phased and multi-stakeholder. The roadmap calls for a combination of public funding, international development partner support, private-sector co-investment and academic partnerships to finance infrastructure and R&D. It recommends pilot programs to demonstrate proof-of-value, creation of testbeds and sandboxes for safe experimentation, and incentive schemes (grants, tax incentives) for targeted R&D. Institutional responsibilities are apportioned to departments based on mandate: DTI for industry uptake and MSME programs, DOST for research infrastructure, DICT for connectivity and digital services, and NPC for data protection compliance. The roadmap envisages monitoring through periodic reporting and recommends building a central dashboard for adoption metrics, R&D outputs and workforce indicators.

Monitoring and Evaluation

NAISR 1.0 sets out a monitoring architecture comprising outcome indicators (AI contribution to GDP, productivity gains, R&D outputs, AI-related jobs created), output indicators (number of pilots, research projects, trained personnel), and cross-cutting metrics (digital inclusion, geographic diffusion of AI services). The roadmap advocates annual progress reports, independent evaluation of major pilots, and the use of national statistics (e.g., PSA data) aligned with the Philippine Development Plan. It anticipates iterative updates to the roadmap as technological change and regulatory needs evolve.

Penalties, Liability, and Appeals

As a strategic roadmap, NAISR 1.0 is not itself a penal instrument and does not create new administrative or criminal sanctions. Instead, it points implementers to existing legal frameworks — notably the Data Privacy Act (RA 10173) and sector-specific laws — for enforcement of data protection, consumer protection and cybersecurity obligations. Where AI systems affect regulated sectors (banking, health), existing sector regulators retain authority over compliance, licensing and penalties. The roadmap therefore relies on regulatory agencies to develop liability and redress mechanisms within their statutory mandates and to coordinate appeals and dispute resolution within normal administrative procedures.

Relationship to Other Instruments

NAISR 1.0 is designed to align with the Philippine Development Plan and other national strategies (digitalization and industry strategies). It complements existing laws (e.g., data protection, consumer protection, cybersecurity) rather than superseding them. The roadmap served as a foundational document informing subsequent updates (for example, the officially announced NAISR 2.0) and the establishment of a government Center for AI Research; official DTI materials note that NAISR 2.0 "builds on the foundation laid by the first AI roadmap in 2021" and provide details of the updated priorities and CAIR establishment here.

International Alignment

NAISR 1.0 situates the Philippines within regional and international AI policy discussions and seeks alignment with international norms for ethical AI, data governance and research collaboration. The roadmap encourages bilateral and multilateral partnerships for capacity building and R&D, and anticipates harmonization with ASEAN and OECD approaches to responsible AI. It recognizes international standards for cybersecurity, model testing and data protection as reference points for domestic guidance.

Implementation Timeline

Sources and References