The Philippines needs to train more workers in artificial intelligence (AI) as businesses and government agencies move from learning about the technology to using it in their daily operations.
Building a larger pool of skilled workers would allow Filipinos to compete for fast-growing AI and data jobs. It would also help Philippine companies understand and manage the technology instead of relying completely on outside providers.
“I think we should operate from a mindset of abundance, not scarcity. The question should not be, ‘How do we stop our best people from leaving?’ but, ‘How do we produce enough world-class talent so Filipinos are present wherever the opportunities are?’” Prof. Christopher Monterola, AI expert, Asian Institute of Management, told Back End News in an email interview.
Monterola is also founding head of Aboitiz School of Innovation, Technology, & Entrepreneurship (ASITE) and advisor for the Philippines’ National AI Roadmap.
Demand for these skills is expected to increase as AI changes jobs and creates new types of work.
“The World Economic Forum projects a net gain of 78 million jobs globally by 2030, with AI, data, and technology among the fastest-growing areas,” Monterola said.
He said Filipinos should be supported if they find good opportunities abroad. Overseas workers can continue helping the Philippines through remittances, knowledge, professional connections, and future investments.
The country, however, also needs skilled people at home. Local AI and data experts can help businesses and the government study major technology proposals, separate realistic opportunities from exaggerated promises, and make better investment decisions.
Monterola cited Pax Silica, a proposed AI and advanced manufacturing ecosystem in Clark that could attract $12 billion to $35 billion in investments and create 500,000 jobs. Projects of this size require people who understand the technology and can determine whether the plans will benefit Filipinos.
“We need Filipinos competing for those opportunities. If the opportunity is abroad, let’s support that. Filipinos have historically given back through remittances, knowledge, networks, and eventually investments,” Monterola said.
Instead of concentrating only on preventing trained workers from leaving, the Philippines should produce more skilled people and create reasons for them to work, invest, or share their knowledge in the country.
“For me, the goal should not be brain drain prevention, but brain gain acceleration,” Monterola said.
AI use has already grown in the Philippines. Companies and government agencies are no longer simply asking what AI is. They are asking how it can help employees become more productive, improve services, and make better decisions.
The Asian Institute of Management has completed more than 100 industry projects involving AI and data science. Monterola said these projects show that organizations are beginning to apply the technology to actual business and public-sector problems.
The country has also made progress on the National AI Roadmap, which Monterola helped shape in 2019.
One recommendation was to create a national center where businesses, schools, and government agencies could work together on AI research and practical projects. That proposal became the Center for AI Research, or CAIR, which was formally launched in 2024 with the National AI Strategy Roadmap 2.0.
CAIR is now under the Department of Education. Monterola believes it should be directly under the Office of the President because AI affects many government agencies and parts of the economy.
“When we imagined the roadmap back in 2019, one vision was to create a national center that could bring together government, industry, and academe around AI research and real-world applications,” Monterola said.
The Philippines still faces major gaps in AI research, digital infrastructure, access to useful data, and the training of workers.
Research and development spending was only about 0.3% of the country’s gross domestic product when AI Roadmap 2.0 was launched. This was far below the government’s 1% target.
“So for me, the roadmap succeeded in putting AI on the national agenda. The next challenge is much harder: moving from awareness and experimentation to building AI capabilities at scale and creating measurable economic and social value for Filipinos,” Monterola said.
Businesses also need to develop their own AI knowledge. They can hire technology companies and consultants, but they should not allow outside providers to control all their knowledge about their data, customers, and business decisions.
Companies must also train employees to use AI and understand its limits. Workers may reject the technology if it repeatedly provides wrong, biased, or unfair answers.
“If your people repeatedly see AI making poor or unfair decisions, you will eventually lose their trust, and once that trust is lost, adoption becomes much harder,” Monterola said.
He said one of the biggest mistakes businesses make is adopting AI because of fear of missing out. Some companies buy AI tools without identifying the problem they want to solve, checking whether they have reliable data, or setting rules for responsible use.
“My view is simple: adopt AI aggressively, but with purpose. Build your internal capability, governance, trust, and people at the same time. Otherwise, today’s AI investment can easily become tomorrow’s liability,” Monterola said.
The growth of AI does not mean the strengths of Filipino workers will become less useful. Monterola said skills such as empathy, communication, and personal service could become more valuable when combined with technology.
“The strength of the Filipino workforce has always been service, empathy, and human connection. These are not weaknesses in the age of AI; they are future-proof capabilities that complement AI,” Monterola said.
The challenge for the Philippines is to train enough people to use AI while protecting the human skills that have helped Filipino workers compete globally.
“For the Philippines, the greater risk may not be moving too fast with AI, but moving too slowly while these problems persist,” Monterola said.