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Makati City, Philippines — On 22 October 2026, the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) hosted its 2026 AI Forum at the Makati Shangri-La, gathering key government officials, diplomatic leaders, and private sector experts to explore how AI can guide national priorities and build a more competitive, secure, and innovation-ready Philippine economy.

Centered on the theme "Intelligent Industries: AI at the Core of Economic Growth and Security,” the event highlighted responsible AI use in governance, cyber resilience, and enterprise scaling. Against the backdrop of the Philippines' ASEAN Chairmanship in 2026, the conversations served as a vital avenue to align national AI agendas with regional digital integration goals and foster deeper technological collaboration between the Philippines and European frameworks.

The event opened with remarks from Ms. Quynh Do, Co-Chairperson of the ECCP ICT Committee and Executive Director, Head of Government Affairs - Southeast Asia at SAP. A keynote address was likewise delivered by Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Hon. Dr. Renato Solidum, Jr., who discussed building AI readiness from the ground up in the Philippine context.

Secretary Solidum shared during the event: “Years from now, I hope we look back on this gathering as the point where industry and government stopped viewing AI as something merely to purchase, and began treating it as a national capacity to build.”

H.E. Massimo Santoro, Ambassador of the European Union to the Philippines, on one hand, emphasized the EU's commitment to responsible AI in the region. “We wish to build not only technology capacity but also human capacity, and of course, promoting talent retention,” he mentioned.

Among the highlights in the forum, a ceremonial signing between DOST and the European Union Delegation to the Philippines for the EU–Philippines AI Lab also took place, marking a step toward deeper collaboration in artificial intelligence.

The initiative will help turn AI research into practical solutions, promote responsible AI adoption and create new opportunities for technology transfer, investment and innovation. The Lab is also part of the EU’s €40 million (approximately PHP 2.85 billion) digital cooperation with the Philippines under the Global Gateway strategy, and reflects a shared commitment to building a human-centric, trustworthy and inclusive AI ecosystem that benefits businesses and people on both sides.

“This is a signal of clear ambition, it's firstly a signal of trust, a signal that the European Union and the Philippines are ready to shape the AI future coming together, doing so in the right way with innovation, investment, responsibility, and of course trust at its core,” said Ambassador Santoro.

Apart from these highlights, this year’s AI Forum explored three core thematic pillars, beginning with:


EU–Philippine Cooperation on Artificial Intelligence

Following the keynote presentations by DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. and H.E. Massimo Santoro, Ambassador of the European Union to the Philippines, participants gained insights into the Philippines’ AI readiness, the development of high-trust digital ecosystems, and ongoing EU–Philippine initiatives to advance AI adoption.

Hon. Leandro Angelo Y. Aguirre, DICT Undersecretary for Strategic Initiatives and Industry and Competency Development, further outlined the Philippines’ national AI strategy and digital transformation roadmap, highlighting key priorities for strengthening the country’s AI capabilities.


Cyber Resilience & Digital Defense

This segment explored cybersecurity, data privacy, critical infrastructure protection, and threat mitigation, examining how AI can serve both as a vector for sophisticated cyber threats and a tool for automated defense. Discussions also covered zero-trust architectures and data protection across telecommunications, financial services, and essential public networks.

Atty. Johann Carlos S. Barcena, CESO III, Privacy Commissioner and Chairman of the National Privacy Commission (NPC), also shared insights on data privacy, ethical governance, and systemic risk management in the AI era, while BGEN Joey T. Fontiveros, Commander of the AFP Cyber Command at the Armed Forces of the Philippines, highlighted the role of AI-enabled cyber defense in strengthening national security and building resilience across critical infrastructure.

Furthermore, Police Major General Andre Perez Dizon, Director of the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) of the Philippine National Police, discussed strategies for combating cybercrime in the age of AI and strengthening digital security and law enforcement.


Enterprise Intelligence at Scale

The third pillar highlighted practical AI applications across key economic sectors, featuring TESDA Executive Director Florante Galura and SAP APAC Regional Vice President Anil Bhaskaran, with Atty. Felicisimo Agas III, Partner at Quisumbing Torres, serving as moderator.

In his presentation, Mr. Galura emphasized the importance of preparing the Filipino workforce for AI-driven changes, stressing that “no Filipino worker will be left behind in this AI revolution.” He underscored the need to equip workers with the skills to turn disruption into opportunity. Meanwhile, Mr. Bhaskaran discussed how businesses can move AI from experimentation to implementation through solutions that can be activated, scaled, and customized to meet organizational needs while delivering tangible business value.

Overall, the afternoon discussions likewise stressed the importance of coordinating efforts to strengthen AI readiness. TESDA Executive Director Galura called for greater harmonization of industry-led initiatives in AI, cloud computing, data, and cybersecurity, emphasizing the need to build a “supermarket of competencies” in emerging technologies.


The Way Forward

Building on the success of previous dialogues such as the Future of Work Forum, the ECCP looks forward to sustaining the AI Forum as a cornerstone initiative ensuring that AI acts as a secure, innovation-driven catalyst for the Philippine economy.

The success of the 2026 AI Forum was made possible through the strong support of its partners and sponsors. The event was co-presented by SAP, with Embassy Partners including the Embassy of Finland in Manila, Embassy of Romania in the Republic of the Philippines, Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of the Philippines, Embassy of Sweden in Manila, Embassy of the Czech Republic in Manila, and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Manila. Further supporting the event were Advocacy Partners Pru Life UK and Plaud, with the event being widely promoted by Media Partners iMPACT and The Manila Times.