'The future is not waiting': Cebu Business Month launches First AI forum

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a tool reserved for large corporations, and Cebu’s business community must embrace it now or risk being left behind.

That was the core message at the Cebu Business Month 2026 Technology and Innovation Forum held on June 18 at Waterfront Hotel Cebu.

This year’s edition of the Technology and Innovation Forum, which drew together business leaders, startup founders, government officials, and educators for a daylong conversation, is the first to put AI as its focus theme — particularly, its disruptive nature and role in reshaping the region’s economy.

Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) President Regan Rex King opened the forum with a pointed question to the audience: how many of them felt technology was moving faster than their ability to understand or use it.

“If that is you, you are not alone. And that is exactly why we are here,” King said.

Is Cebu AI-ready?

Thursday’s event follows the Investment and Entrepreneurship Summit held two weeks ago and focuses on whether Cebu’s businesses have the tools, talent, and mindset to match the opportunities they are being asked to seize.

King identified three forces every business leader must now contend with: 1) AI’s deepening role in operations and decision-making, 2) accelerating disruption across sectors from manufacturing to healthcare, and 3) the primacy of human capital in navigating these shifts.

“Our biggest competitive advantage will always be people. Not machines, not platforms, not software alone, but people with the right skills, the right mindset — people who can adapt, learn, and relearn as the world changes,” he said.

He challenged businesses of all sizes to act, from the largest enterprise to the smallest sari-sari store, arguing that the companies positioned to lead the next decade are not necessarily the biggest today, but those that learn early how to put new tools to practical use.

READ: Beyond BPOs: Growing interest in generative AI among Cebu businesses

‘The future is not waiting’

Likewise, Joslyn Canon, CBM 2026 Digital Transformation and Technology Chair, echoed the urgency.

However, at the same time, she directed her remarks at a persistent misconception: that AI, cybersecurity, and digital transformation are concerns for someone else.

“Many organizations, particularly MSMEs, still view these developments as distant or inaccessible. AI is often perceived as something for large technology companies only. Cybersecurity is seen as an issue only for the IT department,” Canon said.

READ: Cebu Business Month 2026 opens with resolve amid uncertainty

“The future is not waiting,” she added.

She even shared personal experiences wherein she spent recent months experimenting with AI tools and came away convinced of their practical value while also acknowledging their limits.

“The beauty of AI is that it helps us work smarter. It can process information quickly, generate ideas, automate routine tasks, and make us more efficient. It’s no longer something that’s coming in the future. It’s already part of how many of us work today,” she said.

READ: Parents, schools in Cebu urged: Teach children AI literacy

Stress test

In a nod to the forum’s own subject matter, Canon disclosed that some of the technologies on display, including AI-powered tools and AI-enabled PCs, were being used in the event itself, describing it as a “stress test” for how these tools can support real-world learning and collaboration.

Both speakers underscored that no single sector can drive Cebu’s digital future alone.

They called for tighter alignment among government, industry, and academe, not as separate stakeholders but as partners working toward the same goal. ###

READ: Group says AI can be used to reform education