The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and Google Cloud have strengthened their partnership to use artificial intelligence (AI) and stronger cybersecurity systems in government services. The goal is to make public transactions faster, simpler, and safer for Filipinos.
The effort supports the Philippine Development Plan 2023 to 2028 and DICT’s digital transformation roadmap. It covers both AI tools for government work and a unified cybersecurity system across agencies.
“Transformation is not defined by the adoption of sophisticated software tools alone, but by facilitating sustained systemic efficiency across public institutions and widespread access to e-government services,” said DICT Secretary Henry Aguda.
DICT said the program, called “Digital Bayanihan,” is designed so AI systems, cybersecurity tools, and connectivity infrastructure work together to improve access to government services. It also said government employees will receive AI tools and training to reduce manual work and speed up service delivery.
Under the “AI Agents for Public Sector” program, DICT and Google Cloud are providing Gemini Enterprise and Google Workspace to government workers through the Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management’s (PS-DBM) eMarketplace. This is the government platform used to buy cloud and AI services.
DICT plans to use the Gemini Enterprise platform to build AI tools that can help with both citizen requests and internal government tasks. These include answering public questions in local languages, guiding users on business registration, and giving information for disaster response.
The system is also meant to help government staff search and analyze data more easily across different agencies. For example, officials can check pending applications or generate summaries of economic data for policy use.
More than 50,000 government workers are expected to start using the Gemini Enterprise app, which allows users to create and manage AI tools in a controlled system. DICT plans to expand this to more than 200,000 employees over the next 18 months.
The platform also works with tools like Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, allowing users to turn AI-generated reports into documents, presentations, and emails for coordination between agencies.
On cybersecurity, DICT’s Cybersecurity Bureau is working with Google Cloud to improve monitoring of government systems against cyber threats. The setup is based at the National Security Operations Center (NSOC), where Google Cloud Cybershield is used to detect and respond to cyberattacks using AI tools and threat intelligence.
Security teams from 56 government agencies have already been trained, with plans to include up to 90 agencies by June 2026. The system is also expected to support cybersecurity operations during the ASEAN Summits in the Philippines in 2026.
The DICT said centralized monitoring allows agencies to respond more quickly and in a coordinated way to cyber threats targeting government systems and critical infrastructure.
Google Cloud said the partnership aims to make AI tools easier to use for government workers while strengthening national digital security.
“Our collaboration with DICT is designed to democratize the benefits of AI, converting global innovations into localized, conversational public services that reach and serve everyone,” said Jennifer Ligones, country manager for the Philippines at Google Cloud.
The partnership also supports national connectivity plans, including submarine cable systems such as the Taiwan-Philippines-US (TPU) and Apricot cables, as well as domestic network projects under the National Digital Connectivity Plan. These aim to increase internet capacity, reduce congestion, and support more AI-powered government and business services.
