The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and Google Cloud announced a multi-year partnership on June 22, 2026, to deploy AI agents across Philippine government agencies and build a cybersecurity alliance that will eventually cover 90 government agencies.
The deal has three parts: AI tools for public servants, a cross-agency cyber defense system, and upgrades to the country’s internet infrastructure.
More than 50,000 public servants will get access to the Gemini Enterprise app as a starting point. DICT is targeting more than 200,000 users within 18 months. Public servants will reach Gemini Enterprise and Google Workspace through eMarketplace, the government’s e-procurement platform run by the Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), which launched in the first quarter of 2026.
DICT plans to include AI agents into its e-government platforms so that Filipinos can speak or text in local languages to ask about government processes, such as registering a small business, checking community health center schedules, or applying for disaster relief assistance.
DICT Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda said: “Transformation is not defined by the adoption of sophisticated software tools alone, but by facilitating sustained systemic efficiency across public institutions and widespread access to e-government services. DICT is accelerating ‘Digital Bayanihan’ with partners like Google Cloud, where AI-driven systems, proactive cyber defense, and network infrastructure operate in tandem to provide every citizen with access to public services and high-speed connectivity within a secure online environment. We’re empowering our public servants with world-class AI tools and upskilling programs to help them remove bureaucratic friction, optimize public sector productivity, and deliver seamless, next-generation services that better serve and uplift our people in every community.”
On the cybersecurity side, the DICT Cybersecurity Bureau has set up a cross-agency alliance using Google Cloud Cybershield, deployed at the National Security Operations Center (NSOC). The platform combines threat intelligence, Gemini-assisted security operations, and Mandiant expertise. So far, 56 government agencies have been onboarded; DICT is targeting 90 by the end of June 2026. The same system is securing digital operations for the ASEAN Summits, which the Philippines is hosting from April to November 2026.
Jennifer Ligones, Country Manager, Philippines, Google Cloud, said: “Our collaboration with DICT is designed to democratize the benefits of AI, converting global innovations into localized, conversational public services that reach and serve everyone, and where public servants are empowered to solve complex challenges in minutes rather than months. We’re building a future where best-in-class enterprise AI capabilities and high-speed data pipelines act as public utilities that unlock new job opportunities, protect critical national infrastructure, and help establish the Philippines as a leading digital economy in the Asia Pacific region.”
The agreement also feeds into DICT’s National Digital Connectivity Plan. Google and Pacific Connect initiative partners are extending the Taiwan-Philippines-U.S. (TPU) subsea cable system with multicore fiber technology. The Apricot subsea cable system adds a separate route meant to cut congestion and improve redundancy. Both cable systems will link up with local terrestrial networks and DICT’s Luzon Bypass Infrastructure (LBI) corridor – a setup DICT says will free network resources to expand its Free Wi-Fi for All program in public schools, hospitals, and community centers.
DICT said it will track usage frequency, productivity gains, cost savings, and user satisfaction as the rollout proceeds. No specific date has been announced for nationwide AI agent availability beyond the 18-month target of 200,000 users.
