The Philippines is strengthening its artificial intelligence capabilities as the DOST allocates ₱300 million to expand AI data center infrastructure. The funding will support the Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) as it aims to increase its computing capacity 26-fold by 2028.
The expansion is intended to help the country develop AI-powered applications through its own systems while boosting domestic technological capabilities.
ASTI Director Franz De Leon announced the funding during a House Committee on Appropriations hearing on the DOST’s proposed ₱30.8-billion budget. He said the allocation serves as initial seed funding under DOST’s grant-in-aid (GIA) program.
At present, ASTI operates a small data center that De Leon described as a container van located behind their office. The institute has begun scaling up by leasing space in commercial data centers and installing its own graphics processing units (GPUs), which provide the computing power needed for AI applications.
ASTI currently operates five major computer servers alongside data storage servers. De Leon said the agency is also looking to secure additional assistance from development partners as it continues expanding its infrastructure.
The investment forms part of DOST’s broader effort to build stronger domestic AI capabilities. De Leon said the upgraded infrastructure would enable the country to deploy AI applications using its own computing resources.
“Our intent is to further enhance our own sovereignty, so we will have our own capacity to deploy and make our own AI-based application using our own system,” De Leon said.
The push to develop AI infrastructure also feeds into the broader discussion about the Philippines’ place in the emerging technology economy. In a PGMN episode, Anchor Jourdan Sebastian discussed Pax Silica and the importance of ensuring that the country’s resources and technological progress deliver lasting benefits for Filipinos.
Watch the full episode here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19SLGU2kYZ/
