Palace tells Filipinos to upskill as ‘AI era’ sets in

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Friday urged Filipino workers to acquire artificial intelligence (AI)-related skills to keep pace with changing labor market demands as the country navigates the “AI era.”

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said that while AI may lead to job losses in some sectors, it could also create new employment opportunities, including higher-paying jobs.

READ: PH jobless rate inches up to 5.4% in September

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“Alam ninyo may mga pagkakataon na kaya ang gusto ng Pangulo ay matuto na tayo sa ganitong mga industriya, hindi tayo maaari na manatiling kapos sa kaalaman. Kaya nga lagi pino-promote ng Pangulo na dapat tayo matuto kasi AI-era na tayo,” she said at a briefing when asked how the government will reconcile its push to reduce unemployment and its plan to teach AI skills.

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(You know, there are times when the President wants us to learn about these industries. We cannot afford to remain lacking in knowledge. That is why the President constantly promotes the need for us to learn because we are already in the AI era.)

“So may mga pagkakataon, hindi ko masasabi kung anong trabaho ang maaaring mawala, pero maaaring mag-open ito sa iba nating mga kababayan ng trabaho at trabahong mas maaaring malaki pa ang income. So, ang lahat ng tao ay dapat magpursige, mas magdagdag pa tayo ng kaalaman para mas makaagapay tayo sa bilis ng panahon,” Castro added.

(There may be instances when I cannot say which jobs could be lost, but this could also open up employment opportunities for other Filipinos, including jobs that may offer higher incomes. Everyone should strive to learn more and expand their knowledge so we can keep up with the rapid pace of change.)

The remarks came as the country’s unemployment rate rose to 5.4 percent in September from 5.3 percent in August, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

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This translated to 2.86 million unemployed Filipinos, up from 2.77 million in the previous month.

Castro said some graduates may have difficulty finding jobs immediately because the skills they acquired do not match available job opportunities or there are not enough businesses that can hire them.

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“Kaya nandiyan po ang panukala ng Pangulo at isinasagawa ngayon – iyong tinatawag nating pag-develop sa workforce, nandiyan po iyong upskilling, reskilling for digital and AI, jobs skills matching, may mga talino kasi—mayroong galing na hindi tama ang nakukuha nilang trabaho na angkop sa kanilang skills.  At nandiyan din po iyong advance manufacturing. Nandoon din po ang pagsuporta sa MSME [micro, small, and medium enterprises] growth,” she said.

(That is why the President has proposed and is now implementing measures to develop the workforce. These include upskilling and reskilling for digital and AI-related jobs, as well as job skills matching, because some people have talents and abilities that are not being utilized in jobs suited to their skills. There is also a push for advanced manufacturing, along with support for the growth of MSMEs.)

Moreover, the Philippine Semiconductor and Electronics Industry Roadmap has been launched to expand the manufacturing base and create more jobs, while the Luzon Economic Corridor is expected to become a major hub for logistics, manufacturing, and innovation.

Castro said 46 special economic zones have also been approved, projected to attract P141.2 billion in investments and generate about 189,000 jobs.

“At pati po ang pag-exempt ng micro enterprises mula sa 2% Minimum Corporate Income Tax, MCIT, ay magpo-provide ng additional relief sa mga MSMEs at makakatulong na ma-preserve nila iyong capital nila para sa kanilang pag-expand at pag-hire ng kanilang mga empleyado,” she said.

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(Exempting micro enterprises from the 2% Minimum Corporate Income Tax (MCIT) would also provide additional relief to MSMEs and help them preserve their capital for business expansion and hiring more employees.) /ms