The Philippines has strengthened its position as one of the Asia-Pacific region’s more advanced digital economies, rising to seventh out of 21 markets in the latest Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) Asia Pacific Digital Nation Index. 

The improvement comes on the back of government allocations exceeding P72 billion for broadband, cloud migration and digital-skills programs, with the country’s digital economy now contributing P2.25 trillion, or about 8.5 percent of GDP.

Unveiled at the Digital Nation Summit Manila 2025 on 13 November at Makati Shangri-La, the report shows the Philippines scoring 60 out of 100, placing it among the region’s leading digital nations. 

But the GSMA cautioned that progress could slow without renewed investment and coherent policies, noting that about 40 percent of Filipinos remain offline despite growing digital adoption. 

Need to set clear investment goals

The industry group emphasized the need to set clear national investment goals, close regional connectivity gaps and foster predictable regulation to sustain digital momentum.

GSMA h ead of Asia-Pacific Julian Gorman said the country’s broadband budgets and cloud targets are “paying dividends,” while underscoring the urgent need for further capital in 5G, fibre, cloud and cybersecurity to ensure the transition from a fast-growing digital economy to an inclusive digital nation.

Separate GSMA report

A separate GSMA report released at the summit warned that trust in the country’s digital ecosystem is weakening as online scams surge. 

The latest ASEAN Consumer Scam study found that 52 percent of Filipinos have been scammed at least once, with eight percent victimized in the past year. 

Two-thirds of victims lost money, and most Filipinos surveyed reported high levels of concern over fraud and hacking. Social media has overtaken text messaging and OTT apps as the leading channel for scams.

Cross-sector pilot launched

To counter rising fraud, the GSMA launched a cross-sector pilot allowing telecom operators to share anonymized, regulator-approved threat intelligence with banks, fintechs and tech platforms. 

The group also highlighted new authentication tools from PLDT/Smart, Globe and DITO under the GSMA Open Gateway initiative, which allow real-time subscriber verification and SIM-swap detection in support of stricter Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas security rules.

DNS Manila, held alongside Philippine Fintech Week, convened policymakers, regulators and industry leaders to discuss investment in 5G and cloud infrastructure, stronger data-governance and cybersecurity frameworks, and people-centered innovation. 

Insights from the summit will feed into regional policy dialogues at M360 Asia-Pacific later this year.