The Private Sector Advisory Council – Digital Infrastructure Sector (PSAC-Digital Infra) presented key recommendations on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, fiber deployment, and rural connectivity to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. during its 10th meeting at Malacañang Palace.
The meeting opened with PSAC-Digital Infra welcoming the President’s signing of Executive Order No. 119, which updates the government’s data classification framework and establishes a national data residency policy. The Council said the Order addresses a long-standing regulatory gap and provides cloud providers, data center operators, and technology investors with the policy certainty needed to strengthen the country’s data sovereignty. The Council also discussed the importance of advancing AI sovereignty alongside these initiatives.
On cybersecurity, PSAC-Digital Infra recommended adopting a coordinated national approach to protecting the country’s critical information infrastructure, most of which is privately owned and operated. Central to its proposal is the establishment of pre-authorized emergency protocols that would allow operators to respond immediately during major disasters or systemic cyber incidents without waiting for case-by-case government clearance.
The Council reaffirmed its support for the passage of the proposed Cybersecurity Act, which is currently under committee consolidation in the House of Representatives, while calling for amendments to Republic Act No. 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, to better address evolving cyber threats while supporting innovation and the continued competitiveness of the Philippine IT-BPM industry.
On artificial intelligence, PSAC-Digital Infra proposed a two-pronged approach: harnessing AI to strengthen cybersecurity through threat detection, incident response, fraud and scam prevention, and continuous monitoring of critical infrastructure, while ensuring that AI systems themselves remain secure. As the Philippines develops sovereign computing capacity, the Council recommended treating AI models, training datasets, and the data centers that host them as part of the country’s critical information infrastructure.
“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 Infrastructure Lead and Chairperson of MDI Group Holdings Inc.
PSAC-Digital Infra also endorsed the One Canal Policy, which promotes a single common-conduit system and standardized infrastructure for fibre and utility deployment along national roads and public rights-of-way. Under the proposal, a canal would be dug once and shared by all qualified operators, reducing deployment costs and timelines, eliminating repeated road excavation, and simplifying permitting for telecommunications providers and local government units.
To accelerate digital inclusion, the Council recommended prioritizing the interconnection of rural health units and state universities and colleges to the National Fiber Backbone. Connected health facilities can expand access to telemedicine, electronic health records, and faster referrals to tertiary hospitals, while connected campuses strengthen research, digital skills development, and AI readiness. The Council noted that connecting these anchor institutions also makes last-mile broadband services more commercially viable for surrounding communities, supporting the President’s priority of expanding connectivity to geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.
The Council also highlighted the importance of strengthening the resilience of the country’s submarine cable infrastructure. Dennis Anthony Uy, CEO of Converge ICT Solutions Inc., presented a consortium-led initiative among Converge, Globe, and PLDT to build a more resilient national subsea network with enhanced redundancy, helping safeguard the country’s critical digital arteries, improve connectivity, and support the Philippines’ long-term AI and 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.
PSAC-Digital Infra also expressed its appreciation to President Marcos and Secretary Henry Aguda for the completion and continued advancement of key digital infrastructure initiatives, which have strengthened the country’s foundation for secure, resilient, and inclusive digital transformation.
