As digital transformation accelerates globally, digital sovereignty is becoming increasingly relevant among governments and organizations that want to keep full control of their data. It means having full ownership and authority on where their data lives, who can access it, and how it’s used in the digital space.
At the 51st Philippine Business Conference and Expo (PBC&E), leading fiber broadband and technology provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. CEO and Co-Founder Dennis Anthony Uy joined industry leaders in a plenary session on digital sovereignty to explore policy measures and frameworks that can be applied in the Philippines.
This is to ensure that the country can safeguard its strategic interests as it keeps pace with global digital transformation and empowers citizens in a trusted digital environment.
For Converge, this conversation is integral as it recognizes the growing need to strengthen in-country cloud capabilities, while learning from global partners to build secure, world-class solutions. Today, Converge actively works with leading global technology companies such as Google, Amazon Web Services, Naver, Foxconn, and Tencent to bring these capabilities to life.
As Mr. Yuwon Kim, CEO of Naver Cloud, cites in his conference speech, “To preserve each nation’s diversity and heritage, there is a need for sovereignty and AI. Sovereign AI means developing and operating AI that deeply understands a nation’s culture, history and values by leveraging their own data and infrastructure.”
Foxconn, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturing giant known as the biggest contract manufacturer of Apple, addressed his company’s own growing prowess in leveraging AI.
“What does Foxconn have to do with AI? Everything. Foxconn is at the forefront of producing the high-performance AI data servers that power the world’s most sophisticated AI applications and data centers,” said Lin Shi-Hao, Leader for Southeast Asia at Foxconn.
Kenneth Siow, Regional Director Southeast Asia and General Manager, Tencent Cloud International, noted that it remains a steadfast partner of Converge as both have the same priorities in further research and development: “Cloud services, cloud native infrastructure services and big data, and AI are some of the key focus areas we will be leaning on, with strategic partners like Converge.”
As for Converge, the company sees the importance of sovereign cloud to give the government and Filipino companies the assurance that their most sensitive data is governed by the country’s own legal frameworks.
Sovereign cloud operates independently, or in hybrid form, with global cloud providers but with clear boundaries on data location, access, and control.
This is becoming increasingly important given the Philippines’ growing dependence on digital transactions. When users access websites and do online transactions with government agencies, banks, and hospitals, they hand over sensitive personal information, which most people assume is automatically protected under Philippine law. The truth is, that’s not always the case.
If an organization’s cloud systems are hosted abroad or managed by a foreign provider, their data could legally fall under the laws of another country, preventing the Philippines from fully regulating or auditing how that data is handled.
Sectors such as government, finance, healthcare, and education, among others, are the ones to benefit the most from the adoption of the sovereign cloud, as they handle vast amounts of personal and confidential information.
For ordinary Filipinos, this gives them confidence that their data is used or shared according to what’s allowed by the country’s existing laws. At the same time, it strengthens their trust in organizations, knowing their information is safe and managed responsibly.
Ultimately, the move toward sovereign cloud is to allow the Philippines to embrace the benefits of digital transformation while ensuring that its most critical data remains secure and processed within trusted boundaries.
At the close of the two-day conference and expo, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) put forward a resolution focusing on digital transformation and innovation, urging the national government to embrace emerging technologies (in part to integrate in public service delivery), invest in broadband infrastructure, all while strengthening capacity building for the technology sector and fortifying laws and regulations in the sector.
