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₱1.8 trillion. Yan yung posibleng economic boost ng AI sa Pilipinas. Hindi typo. Hindi fake news. Galing yan sa study na nilabas ng Google at Public First.

Para ma-visualize mo yan, ₱1.8 trillion in gross value added (i.e., total value ng lahat ng produkto at serbisyo na ginagawa ng bansa) accounts for a 7% boost in our economy.

Just to put things into perspective: With ₱1.8 trillion, you could theoretically build 600,000 classrooms, or pave 126,000 kilometers of roads, or construct 360,000 hospital beds. But this isn't a cash injection na parang may biglang ₱1.8 trillion na dumating sa treasury. This is increased economic output over time.

Ibig sabihin, mas productive ang businesses, mas maraming transactions, mas mataas ang value ng goods and services na ginagawa natin. The money doesn't just appear; it gets generated through better productivity and efficiency across industries.

Here's what's fueling this:

Three major sectors are set to rake in the biggest gains:

Pero sandali lang. Bago ka mag-celebrate, isipin mo: a 7% increase sounds impressive, but that's spread across the entire economy over several years. Hindi yan overnight jackpot. Kailangan ng investment at coordination between government and private sector para maging reality yan.

So what’s the catch? Infrastructure.

The study says we could add another ₱37 billion to that potential IF we improve smartphone access, connectivity, and data centers. Ibig sabihin, yung ₱1.8 trillion na yan? Conditional. It assumes we fix our internet, build more data centers, and make AI tools accessible beyond Metro Manila.

At alam naman natin ang state ng internet sa bansa. Mabagal. Mahal. Hindi pantay-pantay ang access. So yung promise ng AI-powered economy? It only works if everyone can actually use it.

But here's the exciting part: 50% of Filipinos already use AI tools at least once a week. That's higher than most Southeast Asian countries. We're not starting from zero kaya may advantage na agad. We're starting from interest, curiosity, and early adoption. Yung gap na lang talaga is scaling it up and making sure small businesses, farmers, and workers outside the capital can benefit too.

Kaya yes, ₱1.8 trillion is possible. But only if we invest in the boring stuff first: internet, electricity, training, and equitable access. Pag hindi yan bibigyan ng focus in pamahalaan, eh di goodbye ₱1.8 trillion. Isa ka na lang drawing.

Read the full report here.

Nauna na tayo sa Southeast Asia. PEZA just announced the country's first AI Tech Academy, opening November 17 in Cebu. The goal? Train ecozone workers, students, and job seekers on AI tools before automation completely reshapes the workforce.

This a partnership with StackTrek (an IT training company) and IBPAP, backed by TESDA grants. StackTrek invested in the facility, PEZA mobilized industry donations for equipment, and they're targeting in-person training first because AI skills are too new and complex for pure online learning—at least for now.

Why Cebu? Available space. That's it. Practical choice, pero ang bigger plan is to scale nationwide and eventually shift some training online once the model works. PEZA even hinted they might host an academy inside their own building soon.

Here's what connects to the ₱1.8 trillion story: Training matters. You can't unlock that massive economic boost without a workforce that actually knows how to use AI. Wholesale, retail, finance; lahat ng sectors na nabanggit earlier? They need trained people. Not just developers, but everyday workers who understand prompts, automation, and AI-assisted workflows.

Pero come on. One academy in Cebu won't solve the skills gap in the next few years or months. The Philippines has millions of workers. Scaling this to reach BPO hubs, provincial cities, and rural areas? That's the real test. Kasi pag Metro Manila at Cebu lang ang natrain, back to square one tayo—unequal access, unequal opportunity.

Still, it's a start. At least may baby steps na.

Have you seen that image circulating online? Wasak na mga bahay, flooded streets, uprooted trees. The post claimed it showed the aftermath ng Typhoon Kalmaegi or Tino.

The image was AI-generated using Google AI. This is a real tragedy tapos may mga taong gagamitin pa yan to spread misinformation.

This is the dark side ng democratized AI. It's incredibly easy to create realistic images now. Sobrang dali nang magmukhang totoo ang hindi totoo. And in the Philippines where news spreads fast on Facebook, that's a deadly combination. Lalo na yung mga taong ang daling maniwala sa fake news.

Kaya importante ang maging mapanuri sa mga nakikita sa Facebook. Check your sources. Look for official channels like PAGASA and NDRRMC. And kung may nakita kayong too good to be true, it probably is fake.

Dahil sa panahon ng AI, truth and fiction look almost identical. Ang tanging naiiba? The intention of the creator.

Gusto mo bang may AI tutor na hindi ka maiintimidate? Ito yung prompt na parang may kaklase kang marunong mag-explain nang simple.

Ginagawa nitong beginner-friendly ang kahit anong topic kasi nire-require mo si AI na mag-explain in plain English lang. Pag ginamit niya technical term, kailangan niya i-define agad in one sentence plus real-world example.

Ang pinakamaganda? Tinuturuan ka niya step-by-step, tapos tatanungin ka niya ng isa lang na question at a time. Hindi ka ma-ooverwhelm. Plus may practice exercise pa at recap.

Kung sasabihin mo "show me," bibigyan ka niya ng concrete example. Kung "too hard" naman, mag-simplify pa siya lalo. Parang may patient na teacher na nag-aadjust sa pace mo.

Here’s last week answer! Tama ba hula mo?

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