‘AI SANS RULES IS HARMFUL’: Philippine Experts Push AI With Stronger Safeguards

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

Artificial intelligence (AI) holds transformative promise for economic growth and inclusive development in the Philippines, but without proper governance, it could also deepen inequality, distort public trust, and reinforce existing vulnerabilities.

This was the resounding message from Filipino experts and policymakers during the high-level symposium “AI for a Sustainable Tomorrow: Policy Innovations for APEC and the Philippines” held June 11 at UP Diliman by think-tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS)

Dr. Erika Fille Legara, Managing Director and Chief AI and Data Officer at the Education Center for AI Research (eCAIR), warned that “without governance, AI exposes people to very real harm—discrimination, misinformation, exclusion. Trust can collapse.”

The forum, organized by the Philippine APEC Study Center Network (PASCN) and the University of the Philippines System, served as a platform to discuss AI’s dual capacity to both disrupt and elevate economies, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.

PricewaterhouseCoopers projects AI to boost global GDP by as much as 14% or USD 15.7 trillion by 2030—more than the current combined output of China and India.

In the Philippines, AI is already being used in fields as diverse as healthcare, agriculture, education, and climate resilience. However, experts emphasized that AI is “not just a technology problem,” as Dr. Legara put it, “most of it is a people problem.”

She stressed that ethical principles alone are insufficient and must be followed by enforceable, multi-layered governance. eCAIR uses a three-tier model: daily compliance checks by developers, risk review teams, and an AI Governance Council providing strategic oversight for high-risk projects.

“Our model is built around four key objectives: enabling responsible innovation that serves the public, ensuring both technical and ethical rigor, establishing internal accountability systems, and maintaining trust with stakeholders,” Legara said.

UP System President Angelo Jimenez echoed these concerns.

“We must approach AI not merely as a tool for progress but as a transformative force that must serve the public good,” Jimenez said in a recorded keynote. “It must uplift rather than exclude. It must empower rather than marginalize.”

The need for AI education, infrastructure, and data readiness emerged as top concerns. Only 56% of Philippine households have internet access, and electricity remains unreliable in rural areas.

“AI as a field is in high demand, and we are in direct competition with the industry and other countries to retain talent,” said Dr. Sebastian Ibanez, Deputy Chief AI and Data Officer at eCAIR.

He noted that many organizations still lack the clean and relevant datasets needed to implement AI solutions. The absence of data often stems from structural problems, such as outdated workflows and poor interagency coordination.

To address these gaps, eCAIR under the Department of Education has launched seven AI pilot projects under three focus areas: innovation, education and capacity building, and policy development.

Among the most prominent is “Project Nigtas” (Learning Institution General Hazard Tracking and Assessment for Safety), which uses AI models to link natural hazards like floods and extreme heat to student learning outcomes. By anticipating disruptions, schools can deploy adaptive strategies to maintain education delivery.

“This isn’t just about predicting disasters,” said senior data scientist Jose Marie Mignosa. “It’s about reframing the problem—planning ahead to reduce impact and improve resilience.”

Another pilot, “Project Paaral,” creates a graph network of public and private schools to identify underserved learners and geographic gaps in senior high school program offerings. It also reveals the inadequacy of current subsidies.

“For instance, ESC subsidies are set at PHP 9,000, but private school tuition averages PHP 29,930,” said eCAIR policy analyst Eli Bundok. “That’s a PHP 20,000 gap that poor families have to pay out-of-pocket.”

Dr. Rafaelita Aldaba, a former DTI undersecretary and senior advisor to eCAIR, called the pilots “not just experiments” but real efforts to make education more efficient, equitable, and data-driven.

She highlighted the broad spectrum of AI’s potential, describing it as a “crop whisperer” in agriculture and a “doctor’s sidekick” in healthcare.

“In education, AI can help personalize tutoring, assist children with learning disorders, and automate administrative tasks,” Aldaba said. “But it must be done ethically and responsibly.”

Still, AI’s benefits come with risks: bias in algorithms, job automation, high energy consumption, cybercrime, deepfakes, and misinformation. The Philippines ranks highest in Asia-Pacific for the increase in deepfakes, with a 1,530% spike.

AI systems also consume massive energy. UP Diliman’s electricity bill jumped from PHP 20,000 to PHP 150,000 monthly after installing high-performance AI servers, according to Dr. Eugene Rex Jalao of the UP AI Program.

Jalao outlined five guiding principles for AI use: human agency and accountability; fairness and non-discrimination; explainability and transparency; safety and security; and sustainability.

“Protective systems must be robust. Compromising safety and security is never acceptable,” Jalao stressed.

He cautioned against excessive regulation, arguing instead for ethical frameworks, stakeholder responsibility, and continuous model evaluation to guard against bias.

“Too much regulation will stifle innovation,” he said. “AI is not here to replace humans. But you can be replaced by someone who knows AI.”

UP and government agencies are beginning to align on a more coherent approach. The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) now leads the national AI roadmap (ISPH), while eCAIR serves as a central hub for AI research in education.

The Civil Service Commission and DICT are also drafting AI governance frameworks for public sector use, and CHED encourages universities to develop their own responsible use policies under academic freedom.

Regional cooperation through APEC will be critical. Marcos Angelo Punsalang of the APEC Philippines National Secretariat announced upcoming multilateral events—including the Digital and AI Ministerial Meeting in August 2025—to establish shared standards and best practices.

“These efforts demonstrate a growing commitment in the Asia-Pacific region to attain a coherent, aligned, and comprehensive approach toward AI adoption and integration,” Punsalang said.

A hybrid model for AI governance is emerging as the preferred path—horizontal principles that apply across sectors combined with vertical, sector-specific legislation to address industry nuances.

“AI is not just a technological shift,” said Aldaba. “It’s a move toward structural and industrial transformation.”

For that shift to succeed, experts agree: the Philippines must invest in talent, infrastructure, data quality, and multi-sector collaboration—without losing sight of ethical boundaries.

“We are not mere observers of this transformation,” said UP’s Jimenez. “We are its stewards. And as stewards, we must lead with both courage and compassion.”