BUSINESS

PSAC pitches digital agenda to Marcos

‘The threat landscape changes faster than any policy cycle. What we are proposing is not a fixed set of rules but a standing capability so that when the next incident comes, and it will, the country is not starting the conversation from behind, but ahead of the problem.’ — PSAC Digital Infrastructure Sector lead and MDI Group Holdings Inc. chairperson Myla Villanueva.

Toby Magsaysay · Jul 24, 2026, 2:51 AM

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (middle) with members of the Private Sector Advisory Council-Digital Infrastructure Sector (from left)-DJ Sta. Ana, chief external officer, Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc.; Benedict Hernandez, managing director, Accenture Inc., Dennis Anthony Uy, CEO, Converge ICT; Menardo Gimenez Jr., chief operating officer, PLDT; Carl Cruz, president and CEO, Globe Telecom; Henry Aguda, secretary, DICT; Myla Villanueva, PSAC-Digital Infrastructure Sector Lead and Chairperson, MDI Group Holdings Inc.; Ma. Rhodora Campos, Infosys BPM Phils country head; Agnes Gervacio, PSAC- Digital Infrastructure Sector Secretariat head; Fabian Pedregosa, DND undersecretary for Information Systems and Cybersecurity; Dr. William Yu, chief technology officer, Novare; and Sabin Aboitiz, PSAC lead convenor and president and CEO Aboitiz Group — who presented to the President key recommendations on cybersecurity, AI, fibre deployment and rural connectivity. — PHOTOGRAPH courtesy of psac

The Private Sector Advisory Council’s Digital Infrastructure Sector (PSAC-Digital Infra) has presented a series of recommendations to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. aimed at strengthening the Philippines’ cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and digital connectivity during the council’s 10th meeting at Malacañang on 22 June 2026.

The council welcomed the signing of Executive Order 119, which updates the government’s data classification framework and establishes a national data residency policy, saying it provides cloud providers, data center operators and technology investors with greater regulatory certainty while reinforcing the country’s data sovereignty.

Coordinated national strategy

PSAC-Digital Infra also called for a coordinated national strategy to protect critical information infrastructure, much of which is privately owned, including pre-authorized emergency protocols that would allow operators to respond immediately to major cyberattacks and disasters without waiting for government clearance.

The council reiterated its support for the proposed Cybersecurity Act, now under committee consolidation in the House of Representatives, and urged amendments to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 to address emerging cyber threats while supporting the competitiveness of the country’s information technology and business process management sector.

On artificial intelligence, PSAC-Digital Infra proposed using AI to strengthen cybersecurity through threat detection, fraud prevention and continuous monitoring of critical infrastructure while ensuring AI systems themselves remain secure. It also recommended classifying AI models, training datasets and the data centers hosting them as part of the country’s critical information infrastructure.

‘Standing still is falling behind’

“In AI, standing still is falling behind. It is moving so fast that governance, trust, and capability-building must evolve just as quickly,” said Myla Villanueva, PSAC-Digital Infra lead and chairperson of MDI Group Holdings Inc.

The council also endorsed a proposed One Canal Policy that would establish a shared conduit system for fiber-optic and utility infrastructure along national roads and public rights-of-way, reducing construction costs, minimizing repeated road excavations and streamlining permits for telecommunications providers.

To expand digital inclusion, PSAC-Digital Infra recommended prioritizing the connection of rural health units and state universities and colleges to the National Fiber Backbone, saying improved connectivity would support telemedicine, digital education and AI readiness while making broadband deployment more viable in surrounding communities.

Joint Converge, PLDT, Globe Telecom initiative

Dennis Anthony Uy, chief executive officer of Converge ICT Solutions Inc., also presented a joint initiative by Converge, Globe Telecom and PLDT to build a more resilient national submarine cable network with greater redundancy to improve connectivity and support the country’s digital economy ambitions.

“The threat landscape changes faster than any policy cycle. What we are proposing is not a fixed set of rules but a standing capability so that when the next incident comes, and it will, the country is not starting the conversation from behind, but ahead of the problem,” Villanueva said.