01 / government · business · research
EU and DOST plan AI lab where businesses can try tools first
Back End News reported that DOST will set up a joint AI lab with the EU under its NAICRI program. Startups, MSMEs and larger firms can try AI tools there before spending money on them, with help from experts and access to data and computing. According to the outlet, the lab will focus on energy, health, the environment and disaster resilience.
Back End News, 24 October 2026. Read the original on Back End News ↗
02 / business
AI demand for memory chips could make phones costlier for Filipinos
Inquirer.net reported that demand for AI infrastructure is squeezing memory-chip supplies and pushing smartphone prices up. At a roundtable, Jelmer David Ikink of Foxmont Capital Partners said memory makes up 60 percent of the cost of phones under 400 dollars. This matters because many Filipinos rely on phones for work, school and government papers, and a Samsung survey found two out of three Filipinos now lean towards phones with AI features.
“If they are unable to access certain tools, they will be left behind.”
Dr. Jonathan Illagan, Psychologist, Consumer Insights Researcher, and Co-Founder of Groundwork
Inquirer.net, 24 October 2026. Read the original on Inquirer.net ↗
03 / research
AI tools reach 94.4% of Philippine internet users, but few pay for them
Rappler reported that the Digital 2027 report by Meltwater and We Are Social found AI tools are used monthly by 94.4% of Philippine internet users who are at least 16. The report adds that just 5.5% pay for an AI subscription, and 27.5% think AI is good for society overall. The figures show that many people in the Philippines rely on free AI tools, mostly to find information.
Rappler, 23 October 2026. Read the original on Rappler ↗
04 / policy · business
HPE Philippines head says sensitive AI data should stay in the country
Inquirer.net reported that Walter So of HPE Philippines sees data sovereignty as more than where data is stored. He said data sent through public cloud AI tools leaves a controlled space, and he named undersea cable cuts as a risk. With Executive Order 119 raising data privacy concerns, the article says Filipino firms should start AI projects from clear use cases.
“The critical data should be here in the Philippines.”
Walter So, Managing Director of HPE Philippines
Inquirer.net, 23 October 2026. Read the original on Inquirer.net ↗
05 / business · safety
Philippine tech executives urge businesses to set limits on AI agents
Technology executives at the VSTECS CXO Tech Summit said companies building AI agents must secure what those agents can access and limit what they can do, Back End News reported. They warned that shadow AI can leave firms unaware of where company data goes. For Filipino businesses adopting AI, the advice is to track which tools staff use and keep records of AI activity.
“So there should be an assumption that a breach will happen,”
Bambi Escalante, country manager, Fortinet in the Philippines
Back End News, 22 October 2026. Read the original on Back End News ↗
06 / business · government
Supermicro sees more AI server orders in the Philippines despite tight hardware supply
Newsbytes.PH reported that enterprises and government agencies in the Philippines are buying more AI servers from Supermicro through its local partner VST ECS. Edgar Contreras of VST ECS Philippines said the Supermicro business grew more than 200%, mostly because of AI server demand. Memory and storage drives are in short supply, so some suppliers now keep price quotes valid for only about two weeks, which affects local buyers planning AI projects.
Newsbytes.PH, 22 October 2026. Read the original on Newsbytes.PH ↗
07 / business · jobs · education
MVP Group executives told to rethink whole work processes for AI
More than 500 directors and executives of the MVP Group met in Makati City, where speakers said firms should apply AI to entire processes instead of small tasks, TechSabado reported. PLDT Independent Director Erika Fille T. Legara called for a review of the Philippine curriculum. She said organizations need people who understand both business and technology, a skill Filipino workers may need as companies adopt AI agents.
“Between betting on AI and betting on humanity, I will bet on humanity.”
Menardo "Butch" G. Jimenez Jr., PLDT Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
TechSabado, 22 October 2026. Read the original on TechSabado ↗
08 / business
VST ECS head urges Philippine firms to put AI into real use
Inquirer.net reported that Jimmy Go of VST ECS told the CXO Summit that Philippine companies have moved from testing AI to running it for real gains. He also said the AI boom has pushed up prices of servers, laptops and phones. His advice to local businesses was to adopt AI now and not wait for prices and tools to settle.
“In this era, agility is the real form of risk management.”
Jimmy Go, President and CEO of VST ECS
Inquirer.net, 22 October 2026. Read the original on Inquirer.net ↗