ILOILO CITY – The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is positioning Western Visayas as a key hub for artificial intelligence (AI) development, citing the region’s early efforts to build an AI ecosystem and governance framework.
DOST Undersecretary for Regional Operations Sancho Mabborang said Western Visayas is among the country’s frontrunners in AI adoption, highlighting Region 6’s locally developed AI governance framework and initiatives to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) integrate AI into their operations.
“Region 6 has been, I can say, more advanced compared to the other regions,” Mabborang said during the AI Fest 2026 press conference.
Western Visayas has been laying the groundwork for AI development since 2023 through a regional technical working group and the AI Alliance in Iloilo.
Its AI Regional Development Action Plan 2025–2030, launched in February 2025, aims to position the region as a major AI hub in the Philippines through initiatives on talent development, research, infrastructure, governance and AI adoption.
He also commended Western Visayas’ AI governance and policy framework, saying he reviewed the document “page by page” and described it as a valuable reference for other regional development councils.
As part of DOST’s regional AI initiatives, Mabborang siad the agency is partnering with the ASEAN Foundation to train personnel as AI master trainers and help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to adopt AI technologies.
DOST aims to train between 15,000 and 17,000 MSMEs before the end of the President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration.
