Marcos creates national AI council, adopts governance framework
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed an executive order adopting a national framework for artificial intelligence (AI) governance and creating an inter-agency council to oversee its implementation.
Palace press officer Claire Castro announced on Saturday, November 14, that Marcos signed Executive Order No. 131 on November 12.
The order adopts the AI Governance Framework as a guide for policy formulation, regulatory coordination, institutional development and capacity-building.
It also establishes the National Artificial Intelligence Council (NAIC), which will coordinate, facilitate and monitor the implementation of the framework among government agencies and other stakeholders.
The NAIC will be an inter-agency body chaired by the executive secretary, with representatives from other government agencies, including the Department of Economy, Planning and Development and the Commission on Higher Education.
The order seeks to establish a unified direction for AI development and ensure its responsible, safe and ethical use, with safeguards to protect public trust.
“Sa pamamagitan ng kautusan na ito ng pangulo, binibigyang-halaga nito ang AI upang mapabuti ang buhay ng mga Pilipino hindi lamang para isulong ang teknolohiya,” Castro said during a briefing at the International Media Center in Pasay City.
(Through this executive order, the president recognizes the importance of AI in improving the lives of Filipinos, not merely in advancing technology.)
“Layunin nitong tiyakin na ang AI ay maipapatupad nang responsable, ligtas, ethical, at may sapat na proteksyon upang mapanatili ang tiwala ng publiko,” she added.
(Its goal is to ensure that AI is implemented responsibly, safely and ethically, with adequate safeguards to maintain public trust.)
Castro said the measure aims to ensure that AI development benefits workers, businesses and communities, as well as the country as a whole.
Earlier on Saturday, Marcos called on businesses across Southeast Asia to make AI tools more affordable and accessible to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
In a video message to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Business and Investment Summit 2026, the president said small businesses should have access to technology that would help them compete in an increasingly digital economy.
“For MSMEs, we are advancing an approach that brings AI adoption together with training and practical support,” Marcos said.
“Our aim is to help entrepreneurs spend less time on repetitive tasks, make better use of their resources, and reach more customers,” he added.
A copy of EO No. 131 has yet to be published on the Official Gazette website.
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