A GROUP of lawmakers is pushing for a comprehensive regulatory framework on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support the newly approved National AI Strategy for the Philippines (NAIS Ph), which seeks to ensure the ‘safe, responsible, and ethical’ integration of AI into public services in the government, technology, data, and infrastructure sectors.
Spearheading the effort is Camarines Sur Rep. Migz Villafuerte, chairman of the House Committee on Information and Communications Technology (ICT), who filed House Bill 2827, also known as the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Development and Regulation Act. The measure introduces a ‘Bill of Rights on AI,’ setting guiding principles to make AI systems accessible, ethical, and responsive in serving the Filipino public.
Other authors of the bill include Deputy Majority Leader Luigi Villafuerte, Rep. Tsuyoshi Anthony Horibata, who both represent Camarines Sur, and Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon of Bicol Saro.
Under House Bill 2827, four key institutions will be established to implement and oversee the country’s artificial intelligence (AI) policies. These include the Philippine Council on Artificial Intelligence (PCAI), a policy-making and advisory body under the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT); the Artificial Intelligence Board (AIB), chaired by the DICT Secretary and co-chaired by the DOST Secretary, which will regulate and supervise AI systems, investigate violations, and impose penalties; the National Center for Artificial Intelligence Research (NCAIR), an agency attached to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) responsible for AI research, program coordination, and workforce upskilling to prevent job displacement; and the AI Subgroup under the National Innovation Council (NIC), which will foster collaboration among the government, private sector, and academic institutions.
The proposed AI Bill of Rights ensures every Filipino’s protection from unsafe AI systems, algorithmic discrimination, privacy breaches, lack of transparency, and the absence of remedies for AI-related harm. Workers displaced by AI automation would also be entitled to separation pay and assistance through a Job Displacement Program from the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole).
Violators of the measure face imprisonment of six months to six years and permanent disqualification from public office if the offender is a government official.
Migz Villafuerte emphasized that while AI offers ‘significant advancements in human life,’ it also carries risks such as misinformation, job loss, and privacy violations.
‘The 20th Congress needs to establish safeguards against deepfakes and AI fakery that threaten public trust and democratic processes,’ he said.
Villafuerte also reaffirmed the ICT committee’s support for President Marcos’s digital infrastructure agenda, saying it will ‘future-proof’ the nation by enhancing defenses against AI-driven cyber fraud and scams.
‘We are working to align the Philippines with global AI standards like the EU AI Act and the US National Institute of Standards and Technology [NIST] guidelines,’ he added.
‘The time to act is now,’ Villafuerte stressed. ‘We must create a clear AI framework that ensures transparency, fairness, and accountability-so that this powerful technology uplifts lives, not endangers them.’
For his part, Deputy Majority Leader Luigi Villafuerte said the new AI strategy ‘will strengthen the country’s readiness for emerging technologies,’ noting that the Philippines improved its global ranking in the Government AI Readiness Index from 65th in 2023 to 56th in 2024.