By CESAR JOLITO III
Negros Occidental 3rd District Representative Javier Miguel Benitez presented a sweeping 24-month legislative roadmap aimed at fast-tracking artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in the Philippines, positioning the country to move from being merely “AI-ready” to fully “AI-powered.”
Speaking at the State of the Nation on Artificial Intelligence 2026, Benitez, who heads the Technical Working Group on AI under the House Committee on Information and Communications Technology, said the initiative seeks to dismantle long-standing barriers that prevent AI projects from advancing beyond pilot stages.
Benitez identified the so-called “pilot trap” as a major obstacle to innovation, citing fragmented government data, inadequate digital infrastructure, unclear regulations, procurement delays, and a shortage of skilled talent as key challenges stalling AI deployment.
To address these issues, the roadmap introduces a four-pillar “Unblocker” package targeted for full implementation by the third quarter of 2026.
Central to the plan is the establishment of standardized and interoperable data-sharing systems with strong privacy safeguards, alongside the nationwide expansion of cloud and computing connectivity.
This includes the proposed creation of a National AI Computing Center to support large-scale AI development.
The roadmap also calls for the institutionalization of regulatory sandboxes that would allow AI products to be tested in controlled environments, as well as the passage of a comprehensive trust and accountability system through the proposed AI Governance Framework Act.
Benitez underscored the economic potential of the reforms, noting that broad AI adoption could add as much as $92 billion to the country’s gross domestic product by 2030, equivalent to a 12 percent economic boost.
To realize this potential, the technical working group is consolidating more than 20 existing and proposed measures into a single AI Development and Governance Act of 2026.
The proposed law will include an AI Bill of Rights aimed at protecting citizens from algorithmic discrimination and unsafe or unaccountable AI systems.
“The era of pilots and endless potential is over. The era of scaled deployment and tangible benefits begins now,” Benitez said, describing the initiative as a nation-building effort comparable to electrification or universal education.
Under the proposed timeline, interim data-sharing guidelines and the launch of the AI Sandbox Program are scheduled for April 2026.
The AI Governance Act is expected to be passed by the House of Representatives by July 2026, with the law’s signing and the full operation of the National AI Computing Center targeted for January 2027.
The roadmap also features the AI-Ready Workforce 2030 program, which seeks to integrate AI education into the K-12 and higher education curricula and upskill more than 30,000 Filipinos through initiatives such as Project SPARTA./CJ, WDJ