President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order No. 131 on November 12, adopting a national framework to guide the responsible development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the Philippines.
The order aims to strengthen Filipinos’ AI and digital skills and to encourage businesses, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and startups, to invest in, develop and adopt AI, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
The order, titled “Adopting the Artificial Intelligence Governance Framework and Creating the National Artificial Intelligence Council,” builds on the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy for the Philippines, approved in May 2025. It takes effect immediately upon publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.
The PCO said that AI can open new opportunities in business, education, healthcare and other sectors, but that its development and use must also consider people’s safety, rights and welfare.
The framework’s principles are transparency and explainability, security and safety, accountability and integrity, human centricity, fairness and equity, and sustainable development. Governance measures are to match the level of risk, and existing sector regulators keep their mandates.
National Artificial Intelligence Council
The EO creates the National Artificial Intelligence Council (NAIC), chaired by the Executive Secretary. The council will coordinate government agencies in carrying out the framework, address gaps and overlapping efforts, and monitor progress. It reports directly to the President.
The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) is vice chairperson and serves as its Secretariat. Members include the secretaries of ICT, Science and Technology, Trade and Industry, Finance, Education, Labor and Employment, and Budget and Management, the heads of the Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and one private sector representative appointed by the President.
Five areas to prepare the Philippines for AI
The NAIC will form five technical working groups, each tasked with drafting action plans for one area:
- Strengthen government institutions: improve agencies’ capacity to guide and oversee AI.
- Improve data and research: make quality data more available, strengthen secure and trustworthy data systems, and advance AI research and development.
- Develop skills and education: build AI and digital workforce skills, expand AI education and literacy across sectors, and support scholarships.
- Improve digital infrastructure: develop affordable, reliable, fast and secure digital and computing infrastructure in line with the Philippines AI+ Infrastructure Masterplan 2026-2033, while considering energy and water requirements.
- Encourage AI investment and adoption: promote responsible AI investments, public-private partnerships and innovative financing across government and businesses, including MSMEs and startups.
Each action plan must identify responsible agencies, deliverables, timelines, resource needs and key performance indicators.
Building AI capabilities and opening opportunities
According to the PCO, the measures are intended to help:
- Workers, by developing AI and digital skills to adapt to changes in the workplace.
- Students and learners, by providing AI knowledge and digital literacy through education and training.
- Researchers, by advancing AI research and development supported by scholarships.
- MSMEs and startups, by encouraging responsible AI adoption and investment in their businesses.
The NAIC may also recommend measures to safeguard the rights and welfare of workers and learners affected by AI-driven transitions.
Reporting and next steps
The Department of Information and Communications Technology will maintain a digital platform for tracking implementation, which agencies must update quarterly.
The NAIC must report to the President within 30 days after each quarter ends and review the framework at least every two years. DEPDev must form an interim NAIC Secretariat within 30 days of the order’s effectivity.
