Bongbong Marcos Jr. Calls on Filipinos to Embrace AI Revolution
BONGBONG MARCOS – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has issued a strong call for the Philippines to move swiftly in embracing artificial intelligence (AI), warning that those who fail to adapt will be left behind in the global tech race.
Marcos Jr. emphasized the urgent need for the Philippines to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) amid rapid technological advancements. Speaking on Saturday, following discussions among Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders on the responsible and fair use of AI, Marcos underscored that the country must “take advantage” of AI “as much as we can” and “as soon as we can.”
Under the APEC 2025 Leaders’ Declaration, member economies highlighted the importance of “continued efforts to enhance, security, trustworthiness, accessibility, and reliability in realizing the benefits of AI.” This aligns with Marcos’ call for the Philippines to act swiftly in adopting the emerging technology within government systems.
“The Philippines needs to adopt AI in government ‘as much as we can, as soon as we can,’” the President said during a press conference. He likened AI’s emergence to a powerful wave that cannot be avoided. “You’re missing a chance if you wait. AI is going to come, parang alon yan eh. Kahit anong gawin mo, mababasa ka, and if you don’t learn how to swim, if you do not learn how to use AI in the best way, and in a secure way, and in a benevolent way, may iwanan ka talaga,” he explained.
Marcos stressed that AI is a “powerful tool” that must be mastered quickly to ensure the country does not fall behind. “It’s such a powerful tool. You must take advantage of it as quickly as possible. You have to learn how to use it as quickly as possible,” he added, noting that other APEC leaders share the same approach.
“AI will overwhelm us if we do not learn how to swim with the tide, if we do not learn how to handle it properly, if we do not learn how we can use it to best help our people,” Marcos said. “There’s so many aspects to it that it really has to be studied very, very hard.”
Currently, the Philippine government is consulting think tanks to better understand the direction of AI technology and how to maximize its benefits. Earlier this week, Marcos also urged investors to increase their participation in the Philippines, emphasizing the government’s partnership with the private sector to make the country more future-ready.
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