Experts Urge AI Governance Framework, Labor Safeguards Ahead of Marcos SONA
Key Takeaways
- •Technology experts want AI governance and IT-BPM labor protections included among the administration’s policy priorities in the SONA.
- •The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development is developing a national AI governance framework expected to be released soon.
- •Pending AI-related bills indicate a move toward risk-based regulation with possible mandatory compliance and stricter penalties.
- •Experts urged rules preventing employers from relying solely on AI for hiring, performance reviews, or termination decisions.
- •Proposals include research funding, training credits, grants, and tax incentives to help workers shift into AI-related roles.
By Juliana Chloe A. Gonzales
Technology experts are calling on President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to make a unified national artificial intelligence (AI) governance framework and stronger labor protections for the information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) sector priorities in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday. They said clearer policies are needed as AI adoption continues to accelerate.
SONA is a key venue for setting the administration’s legislative and policy agenda, making any signal on AI governance relevant for agencies, employers, and workers preparing for wider use of automated systems.
“The closest initiative toward a whole-of-government approach is the national AI governance framework currently being developed by the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev), which is expected to be released soon,” Emmanuel Caguimbal, president of Wayvent Innovations, Inc., told BusinessWorld in a Viber message.
Analysts said pending AI-related bills suggest the Philippines is shifting toward a more prescriptive and risk-based regulatory approach, similar to the European Union’s AI Act. However, they said the Philippine framework is expected to be less restrictive than the EU model. A risk-based approach typically places heavier obligations on AI uses that could affect rights, safety, employment, or access to essential services.
Luis A. Jacinto, president of the Information Security Officers Group, said current proposals appear to be moving in the direction of mandatory compliance supported by stricter penalties.
As AI is expected to significantly reshape the IT-BPM industry, Mr. Jacinto said policymakers should ensure that the technology strengthens human capability rather than replacing workers. The sector’s exposure to automation makes labor safeguards and retraining policies central to how companies adopt AI tools in customer service, back-office, and other outsourced functions.
He said the government should introduce guidelines that bar employers from using AI as the sole basis for hiring decisions, performance evaluations, or termination.
Mr. Jacinto also urged dedicated research funding to support structural adjustments for entry-level business process outsourcing (BPO) roles that are most exposed to AI-driven automation.
“There has to be a mandate where cooperation among the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), and National Economic and Development Authority is closely and strictly implemented and monitored to ensure that regulatory posture is unified and consolidated and avoiding fragmented, self-regulating industry practices,” Mr. Jacinto said in a Viber message.
Mr. Caguimbal said the Philippines could use Singapore’s SkillsFuture program as a reference point for workforce upskilling.
He said the government should offer training credits, grants, and tax incentives to encourage employers to retrain mid-career professionals for AI-related positions.