Philippine Local Governments Face Challenges in AI Workforce Readiness Amid Rapid Sector Growth
During a webinar hosted by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, experts highlighted the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across various industries, which is creating new job opportunities and enhancing productivity. However, this growth also exposes significant gaps in digital infrastructure, workforce training, and institutional readiness. Alexis Antoniades, a presenter at the event, noted that the labor market is undergoing fundamental changes, with a shift towards digital competencies such as programming and data analysis. This shift is leading to a decline in demand for repetitive tasks and disrupting traditional career paths. A study presented by Francis Mark Quimba revealed that the Philippine AI market is expected to grow from $772 million in 2024 to $3.4 billion by 2030. Despite this growth, many local government units (LGUs) in the Philippines are struggling with weak internet connectivity, limited technical capacity, and insufficient digital investment, resulting in low...