Go pushes bigger Philippine role in global AI, chip race

The Philippines is positioning itself to capture a larger share of the global technology and artificial intelligence (AI) race, Finance Secretary Frederick Go said as the country’s chairship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2026 approaches its conclusion.

During his keynote address at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit 2026 at Solaire Parañaque on Sunday, Go outlined two key regional initiatives that could help the Philippines achieve this goal.

“The first deliverable is DEFA or the Digital Economy Framework Agreement, which was just signed yesterday and is moving to domestic implementation. It is the first comprehensive region-wide agreement ASEAN has written for the digital economy, and the first to specifically address artificial intelligence,” he said.

“The second deliverable is the ASEAN Semiconductor Roadmap, a regional strategic framework for semiconductor supply chains. It was also just finalized yesterday and will be soon distributed to the Member States. It lets each of our nations build our part of the value chain, so that more of the gains stay in ASEAN.”

Signed on Saturday, 14 November, the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) is the bloc’s first standalone, legally binding regional pact on the digital economy. It covers cross-border data flows, digital trade, source-code protection, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, with the aim of improving interoperability and helping businesses, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises, operate across ASEAN markets.

The ASEAN Semiconductor Roadmap, meanwhile, sets out a shared action agenda for 2026 to 2030, focusing on talent development, technology and infrastructure, and supply-chain investment. It aims to strengthen manufacturing and research capabilities, harmonize regulations and link member states’ complementary strengths to build a more resilient semiconductor ecosystem.

Go said the frameworks would help position the Philippines to benefit from the global AI investment cycle, supported by the country's growing exports sector.

“Year-to-date export growth was 17 percent and in September alone, Philippine exports grew by 36 percent to their highest monthly value since records began in 1991. 70 percent of September exports were electronics,” he said.

He also highlighted the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) as a potential investment ecosystem for foreign companies, covering energy, transport, logistics, advanced manufacturing and digital infrastructure.

“I am certain that all our neighbors in ASEAN have their own initiatives and similar projects. Our nations can work together to cover all opportunities.”

Go also called for the responsible use of AI as the global race accelerates, underscoring the need for transparency and safeguards, alongside power reliability, policy predictability and fiscal discipline.

“Within the economic pillar, our stated ambition is to harness responsible AI to carry the region into a digitally empowered community. Responsible AI is fair, helpful, transparent, and always has a human accountable for it,” he said.

Go said the global economy would invest around $1 trillion in AI-related investments this year, with four American companies alone spending more than $700 billion on infrastructure.

He called for stronger regional cooperation to ensure ASEAN captures a fair share of global AI investments. He cited government initiatives to eliminate fees on online transactions, make data centers eligible for real estate investment trusts (REITs) to attract foreign capital, and establish a national single window for trade that connects with the wider ASEAN Single Window.

“Our job, then, is to make this region the place where that capital will land, on terms that will serve our people and benefit our economies,” he said.

“We can only do that as one integrated market, with common rules, connected payments and connected power.”