Take Dibs on AI: Why Ilonggos Must Join the Conversation Now

By Ken Lerona

There was a time when computers were feared, calculators were banned in schools, and internet access was considered a luxury. Now, we can’t imagine working without them. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is walking that same path—but with a pace far quicker, and a reach far deeper than any tool we’ve known.

But here’s the problem: in too many classrooms, government offices, and households across Iloilo, AI is still treated as something distant, foreign, or even threatening. The language around it sounds too technical. The speed of its development feels too fast. So instead of learning to use it, many of us recoil.

We cannot afford that hesitation any longer. If we continue to fear what we do not understand, we will be left behind—not just economically, but intellectually and socially. This is not an alarmist view. This is reality.

It’s Not Magic—It’s a Tool

Let’s be clear: AI is not sorcery. It does not think for itself the way a human does. What it does is respond—based on massive patterns of data—to our prompts, our questions, our commands. It is a tool, much like the ones we’ve used before.

You don’t need a tech degree to start using AI. You don’t need to be a coder or a software engineer. If you can ask a question, if you can write a sentence, you already have what it takes to begin.

Try it to summarize documents. Use it to brainstorm campaign slogans. Ask it to help you translate messages into clear Ilonggo or English. Draft reports, generate emails, or get inspiration for lesson plans. Let it be your digital assistant—not your replacement.

The only way to get comfortable with AI is to use it. Commit mistakes. Learn from them. Grow familiar. Curiosity is not a weakness—it is now a survival skill.

Why the Countryside Must Not Be Left Out

In Metro Manila, AI is already part of workflows in law firms, hospitals, BPOs, government agencies, and marketing teams. What about us here in Iloilo, Guimaras, and Antique? Are we waiting for someone to teach us—or will we take initiative ourselves?

The democratization of AI begins when the countryside refuses to play catch-up. This is no longer just about urban innovation. In fact, the real promise of AI is in how it can solve local problems—if locals learn how to use it.

Imagine farmers using AI-powered weather models to schedule planting. Imagine rural health units using AI to summarize patient data and identify patterns. Imagine barangay secretaries using AI to write resolutions or translate ordinances. These are not pipe dreams. They’re practical, everyday uses—already being done in other places.

We are not too late. But we will be if we delay much longer.

Ilonggos Are Builders. This Is the New Arena.

We Ilonggos are known for our grace, discipline, and dignity. But let’s not confuse quietness with timidity. Let’s not mistake humility for helplessness.

We’ve built ports, banks, schools, and cooperatives. We’ve raised professionals, entrepreneurs, engineers, and public servants. Our strength is in how we think, how we care, and how we adapt. The next generation of leadership will not be built only on charisma or tradition. It will be built on digital fluency and strategic thinking.

This is why I urge our mayors, principals, pastors, doctors, lawyers, and barangay captains: don’t just delegate AI. Try it for yourself. Understand what it can do, so you can lead with discernment and not with fear. This is what responsible leadership in the 21st century looks like.

Fear Is the Real Threat

The real danger is not AI itself—it’s our refusal to engage. Every time we say “indi ko na ya gets” or “biskan mag-ilinano, indi ko lang ni ya pag-gamiton,” we surrender power to those who are willing to try.

And when power concentrates in the hands of the few—those who do understand the tools—that’s when inequality deepens. That’s when decisions are made without our input. That’s when we become passive receivers of change instead of active co-creators.

We cannot allow that to happen. Not here. Not now. Not when we still have time to get involved.

A Call to Curiosity

So I return to my first invitation: take dibs on AI.

Try it out. Be awkward with it. Play around. The earlier you start, the more confident you become. And the more we normalize it in our communities, the more we shape a future that works for us—not just for the tech elite.

Bring it to the barangay. Discuss it in PTA meetings. Try it in your class, in your church homily preparation, or your next policy draft. We don’t need perfection. We need presence.

Because if we’re not in the room when the future is being built, we can’t complain about being left out.

And Ilonggos, I believe, were never meant to be on the sidelines.

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Ken Lerona is a marketing and branding leader with over 20 years of experience. He conducts talks and workshops for private and government organizations and consults on innovation and reputational risk management. Connect with him on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/kenlerona.