TAGUIG CITY — The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) have partnered to enhance the government's flagship Geospatial Analytics & Technology Solutions (GATES) program, aimed at building a secure, reliable and trusted artificial intelligence environment for disaster risk reduction and data-driven governance.

GATES is a national initiative led by DOST that seeks to integrate fragmented geospatial and climate data from various government agencies into a unified and interoperable data ecosystem.

Speaking at a press conference Tuesday, DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said the agency aims to ensure that data governance and quality standards are properly implemented so both the Philippines and its partners can benefit from the program.

“We will also benefit from training that will be conducted to make sure that we capacitate many of our employees,” Solidum said.

He said the platform is expected to help strengthen the country's observation, forecasting and early warning systems for typhoons, heavy rainfall and flooding.

“We will also develop the requirements for the data platform and make sure that the ecosystem that we will establish, we will be able to scale up and adapt it,” Solidum added.

By leveraging advanced geospatial analytics and artificial intelligence, the program aims to support digital transformation, improve evidence-based policymaking and promote science, technology and innovation.

The collaboration will be carried out through the JICA Digital Transformation Lab (JICA DLab) and is set to begin in June 2026 for about four months.

Under the partnership, JICA DLab will provide technical expertise to strengthen the GATES program's data interoperability, governance and digital transformation capabilities, while exploring ways to integrate the platform into broader Digital Public Infrastructure for climate and disaster risk data.

The initiative builds on decades of cooperation between Japan and the Philippines. JICA has supported the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) since the 1970s, as well as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), the Metro Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study in 2004, and ongoing projects on seismic monitoring, early warning systems and data analysis.

Solidum said the long-term goal is for GATES to be utilized not only by DOST but across government agencies to enable more integrated use of data.

DOST said the partnership highlights the growing role of AI in data-driven governance and supports the Philippines' push to become a regional leader in AI-powered public services.