AI regulation in Philippines: laws & policy (2026)
AI in Philippines: guidelines only.
The Philippines governs AI primarily through a non-binding national strategy: President Marcos approved the National AI Strategy for the Philippines (NAIS-PH) on 20 May 2025, setting a whole-of-government roadmap to 2028 across infrastructure, workforce, innovation, data governance/policy, and deployment. There is no comprehensive binding AI statute yet; several 'AI Act'-style bills (e.g. Senate Bill 25 'AIRA' and House proposals for an AI development authority and an AI Bill of Rights) remain pending. Binding rules exist only in narrow sectors, most notably COMELEC's regulation of AI in election campaigns.
Legal framework
National AI Strategy for the Philippines (NAIS-PH / National AI Strategy Roadmap 2.0), led by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and DTI; no binding cross-cutting AI law in force, with comprehensive bills pending in Congress.
Key points: artificial intelligence in Philippines
National AI Strategy approved (2025)
President Marcos approved the National AI Strategy for the Philippines (NAIS-PH) at a Malacañang sectoral meeting on 20 May 2025, directing best use of AI for national development with a roadmap targeting an 'AI-powered' Philippines by 2028.
DOST-led, five-pillar framework
DOST developed NAIS-PH (with DTI sector roadmaps) following the President's March 2025 directive; the strategy is structured around infrastructure, workforce, innovation, data governance and policy, and AI deployment, and is non-binding guidance rather than enforceable law.
No comprehensive AI law yet, bills pending
Multiple comprehensive bills are pending in Congress, including Senate Bill No. 25, the 'Artificial Intelligence Regulation Act (AIRA),' filed in the 20th Congress (first reading July 2025), plus House proposals to create an AI development/regulatory authority and an 'AI Bill of Rights.' None are enacted.
Binding sectoral rule: elections
COMELEC Resolution No. 11064 (adopted 17 Sept 2024, effective 26 Sept 2024) regulates AI and social media in the 2025 national, local and BARMM campaigns: it mandates clear, conspicuous labels/watermarks and disclaimers on AI-generated/manipulated content and prohibits deepfakes, bots and coordinated inauthentic behavior.
Deepfake legislation proposed
Numerous standalone deepfake bills have been filed in both chambers of the 20th Congress (e.g. multiple House Bills and Senate Bills targeting malicious synthetic media), but these remain proposals and are not yet law.
Existing laws applied to AI
In the absence of an AI-specific statute, AI is governed indirectly through existing instruments such as the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (administered by the National Privacy Commission) and consumer/IP/cybercrime laws, supplemented by agency guidelines in areas like education and e-governance.
Timeline of decisions
- Guidance · officialPresident Marcos Approves National AI Strategy for the Philippines (NAIS-PH)
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the NAIS-PH at a Malacañang sectoral meeting, establishing the Philippines' first presidential-level AI strategy through 2028 with five pillars, infrastructure, workforce, innovation, data governance/policy, and sectoral AI deployment in healthcare and agriculture. It supersedes and elevates prior DTI roadmaps into a whole-of-government directive.
Presidential Communications Office (PCO)
- Guidance · officialNPC Issues Advisory No. 2024-04: Guidelines on AI and Data Privacy
The National Privacy Commission issued its first formal AI-specific guidance, applying the Data Privacy Act (RA 10173) to the full AI lifecycle, training, testing, and deployment, requiring lawful basis determination, fairness, bias monitoring, and accountability for all personal data processed by AI systems.
National Privacy Commission (NPC)
- Decision · officialCOMELEC Releases AI/Deepfake Rules for 2025 Elections (Resolution No. 11064)
The Commission on Elections prohibited deepfakes and AI-generated disinformation in campaign materials, required clear disclosure labels on all AI-generated content, and designated AI misuse as an election offense enforceable by Task Force KKK, the first election-specific AI enforcement framework in Philippine history.
Philippine Information Agency (PIA) / COMELEC
- Guidance · officialDTI Officially Adopts National AI Strategy Roadmap 2.0 (NAISR 2.0)
The Department of Trade and Industry adopted an updated national AI roadmap incorporating generative AI trends, establishing the Center for AI Research (CAIR) in partnership with AWS and AI Singapore, and projecting up to PHP 2.6 trillion in annual GDP gains, formally superseding the 2021 NAISR 1.0.
DTI / Center for AI Research (NAISR 2.0 Official Site)
- Guidance · officialDICT and Civil Service Commission Issue Draft Joint Memorandum Circular on Ethical AI in Government
DICT and the CSC circulated a draft JMC prescribing ethical and trustworthy AI principles for all executive-branch agencies, GOCCs, state universities, and LGUs, the first government-wide AI governance instrument for the Philippine public sector, covering accountability, transparency, and human oversight.
Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)
- Law · officialHouse Bill 7913 Introduced: Comprehensive AI Regulation Act with AI Bill of Rights
HB 7913 proposed an 'AI Bill of Rights' protecting individuals from unsafe AI, algorithmic discrimination, and privacy violations, and called for creation of a Philippine Council on Artificial Intelligence (PCAI) and an Artificial Intelligence Board (AIB) to oversee governance, one of the most sweeping AI proposals before the 19th Congress.
Senate of the Philippines Legislative Reference Bureau
- LawHouse Bill 7396 Introduced: Artificial Intelligence Development and Regulation Act
HB 7396 proposed an AI Development Authority (AIDA) under the Office of the President with licensing, certification, and national strategy functions, one of several competing AI framework bills that remained pending through the end of the 19th Congress in 2025.
Digital Policy Alert
- Law · officialSenate Bill 852 Filed: Risk-Tiered AI Regulation Act Modelled on EU AI Act
Senator Pia Cayetano filed SB 852 proposing a National AI Commission under DOST, a four-tier risk classification (unacceptable/high/limited/minimal), prohibitions on behavior-manipulating AI, and mandatory transparency and human oversight for high-risk systems, the most EU-aligned legislative proposal in the 20th Congress.
Senate of the Philippines
- Guidance · officialDTI Launches National AI Strategy Roadmap 1.0 (NAISR 1.0)
The DTI, in coordination with DICT, DOST, NEDA, and other agencies, released the Philippines' first whole-of-nation AI strategy with seven strategic imperatives and a projection that AI could boost GDP by 12% (~USD 92 billion) by 2030, the founding policy document for Philippine AI governance.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
Sources
- pco.gov.ph/news_releases/pbbm-make-best-use-of-ai-for-national-devt/
- pna.gov.ph/articles/1261214
- dost.gov.ph/knowledge-resources/news/86-2025-news/3989-dost-builds-on-ai-national
- pna.gov.ph/articles/1229291
- newsinfo.inquirer.net/2077502/bill-that-seeks-to-regulate-use-of-artificial-intelligence-fi
- docs.congress.hrep.online/legisdocs/basic_20/HB06028.pdf
- insightplus.bakermckenzie.com/bm/data-technology/philippines-ai-and-social-media-guidelines-for-the
- rappler.com/technology/features/congress-bills-deepfake-ai-regulation-philippines
- mofo.com/artificial-intelligence/philippines
- law.asia/ai-regulation-philippines-laws/
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Next topicOrientation, not legal advice: verify against the primary sources linked above. Last verified 23 May 2026. Methodology & how to cite · State of Technology Regulation 2026