The Philippines Launches NAICRI: A National Strategy to Consolidate AI Development

The Philippines took a decisive step toward unified artificial intelligence development with the official launch of NAICRI (National Artificial Intelligence Center for Research and Innovation) on February 26, 2026. Led by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) with the Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI) as its implementing agency, this government initiative represents a significant departure from the fragmented approach that previously characterized the nation’s AI efforts. DOST Secretary Renato Solidum framed NAICRI as the institutional backbone for the National AI Strategy approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in May 2025, positioning the Philippines to leverage artificial intelligence as a transformative force for national development.

Prior to NAICRI’s establishment, the Philippines had seen numerous impactful AI-driven projects across different government agencies, private enterprises, and academic institutions. However, these initiatives operated independently, creating silos that limited their collective impact and scalability. The new framework seeks to break down these barriers by establishing a unified ecosystem connecting government bodies, private sector firms, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and the broader public—each with distinct needs ranging from healthcare solutions to disaster response systems.

Building the Filipino AI Workforce: Addressing Critical Infrastructure Gaps

The Philippines faces three interconnected structural challenges that NAICRI aims to tackle head-on. First is the shortage of AI talent and expertise—a shortage that extends beyond technical specialists to include domain scientists, ethicists, and public sector leaders equipped to translate AI capabilities into real-world impact. The second challenge involves computational capacity: the nation currently lacks sufficient computing infrastructure, including data centers, processors (CPUs), and graphics processing units (GPUs). DOST officials have identified a need for a 26-fold increase in nationwide compute power by 2028, warning that insufficient computing infrastructure risks creating a technological divide that could leave the Philippines lagging in global industries.

The third challenge involves governance frameworks that have not kept pace with rapid technological advancement. Many government processes still rely on paper-based transactions and disconnected systems, hampering the efficient deployment of AI solutions across public administration. Franz de Leon, Director of DOST-ASTI, emphasized that the department’s approach to addressing these gaps will be deliberate and forward-thinking. Rather than making large upfront investments in hardware that could become obsolete within two to three years, NAICRI will build a shared computing backbone that can be strategically scaled and upgraded.

Notably, the Philippines is exploring ambitions to develop its own semiconductor capabilities in partnership with local researchers and the private sector. While the nation’s semiconductor industry currently specializes in chip assembly, testing, and packaging, collaboration with institutions like the University of the Philippines’ Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute suggests potential movement into design and manufacturing. This represents a significant strategic shift for the Filipino tech sector.

Three Pillars of Filipino AI Innovation: GATES, ACABAI, and PROPEL

NAICRI operates through three major programs that serve as its foundational pillars. GATES (Geospatial Analytics and Technology Solutions) addresses a pervasive problem: for years, various Filipino government agencies have independently generated valuable geospatial datasets—disaster maps, hazard assessments, agricultural data, and climate information—without coordinating to maximize their utility. GATES consolidates these fragmented datasets into an integrated system that produces more actionable insights for policy and planning.

ACABAI (Advanced Computing, Analytics, Big Data, and Artificial Intelligence) represents what officials describe as the nation’s most ambitious investment in AI infrastructure to date. This program serves as an umbrella consolidating diverse AI platforms, use cases, and engineering capabilities that were previously scattered across different institutions, enabling greater collaboration and resource efficiency.

PROPEL, launched in December 2024, functions as NAICRI’s commercialization arm. While the first two pillars focus on data consolidation and computing infrastructure, PROPEL ensures that innovations developed under GATES, ACABAI, and related initiatives actually reach and benefit the general Filipino population. As Secretary Solidum stated, the goal is to ensure that research “goes beyond the laboratory” and becomes genuinely accessible to citizens.

Practical Applications: AI Projects Already in Action

The DOST showcased several projects currently operational or in deployment, demonstrating NAICRI’s commitment to practical, locally-relevant AI solutions. vBantai (Vision-Based Adaptive Intelligent Traffic Control with Artificial Intelligence) represents an innovation addressing a critical urban challenge. This vehicle recognition system accurately identifies Filipino vehicles—including jeepneys and tricycles—that international traffic systems frequently misclassify as trucks. By providing accurate vehicle data, vBantai enables agencies like the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to replace manual traffic analysis with AI-driven insights, offering potential relief to the region’s notorious congestion problems.

Mus3o demonstrates AI’s role in cultural preservation. Using computer vision, advanced imaging, and 3D reconstruction techniques, Mus3o enables digital preservation of museums’ cultural and natural heritage assets, including historical artifacts and biological specimens. This application illustrates how AI can serve non-commercial but societally important functions.

AI4RP (also known as Project Gabay) showcases AI applications in disaster preparedness. The AI-enabled weather forecasting system operates at “10 times higher resolution” than previous methods and reduces forecast generation time from three hours to just 15 minutes—a dramatic improvement. Trained on local meteorological data and deployed in 2024, this system enhances the Philippines’ capacity to issue timely rainfall advisories and storm warnings.

ROAMER (Robot for Optimized and Autonomous Mission-Enhancement Responses), a prototype autonomous unmanned ground vehicle, targets agricultural optimization by surveying and mapping banana farms. By improving path planning for fertilizer and chemical applications, ROAMER demonstrates AI’s potential in the agricultural sector, which remains central to the Filipino economy.

Financial Commitment and Future Direction

NAICRI receives approximately P2.6 billion in budgeted funding for its AI initiatives—a figure that DOST acknowledges as relatively modest given the program’s ambitions. The department views current resources as a foundation to be scaled by demonstrating the effectiveness and tangible benefits of its projects. Additional funding may come from international institutions such as the World Bank, though specifics have not been disclosed.

Immediate priorities include conducting a national AI compute survey to assess capacity requirements across the capital and regional areas, developing a comprehensive AI training catalog for workforce development, and establishing protocols enabling MSMEs and regional institutions to access DOST’s computing facilities. These steps reflect recognition that sustainable AI development requires distributed access to computational resources rather than concentration in Manila.

Global Context and Filipino Vision

The World Privacy Forum’s research indicates that 95 countries and jurisdictions have adopted national AI strategies, while 139 have not. By establishing NAICRI, the Philippines positions itself among nations actively shaping their AI futures rather than passively responding to external technological currents. Erika Legara, chief AI and data officer at the Center for AI Research, articulated the underlying philosophy: “We are not building AI for the sake of building AI. AI is really a tool, so it’s important we identify first where it can help best.” This pragmatic orientation distinguishes the Filipino approach—focusing on AI as a solution to genuine development challenges rather than pursuing AI as an end in itself.

The Philippines’ NAICRI initiative represents both strategic thinking and practical execution. By consolidating fragmented efforts into a unified framework, addressing infrastructure deficits, and channeling innovation toward citizen-facing applications, the Philippines is constructing a foundation for sustainable AI-driven development that could serve as a model for other developing nations navigating similar transitions.