Consumer group: Schools must keep up with AI, other tech advancements

MANILA, Philippines — Consumer advocacy group CitizenWatch Philippines on Tuesday called on the government to fast-track the integration of digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), into learning as part of efforts to improve the country’s education system.

In a statement, CitizenWatch Philippines said the government, telecommunications companies, and schools must coordinate to ensure the country’s education system keeps pace with advancements in the digital economy.

The group noted that the Philippines was recently classified as an upper-middle-income country, citing broad-based expansion that included improvements in digital infrastructure.

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It cited the launch of satellite-to-mobile services by Globe Telecom in partnership with Starlink last June, following approval from the National Telecommunications Commission, allowing connectivity in areas where traditional cell towers cannot reach.

“Government and industry have moved with real intent on infrastructure—fiber, 5G, data centers, AI-ready networks. That progress deserves recognition,” CitizenWatch co-convenor Kit Belmonte said.

“The opportunity now is to bring education reform into that same rhythm so investment in connectivity and learning advances together rather than on separate timelines,” he added.

These investments align with the government’s policy framework, with Belmonte noting that the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028 identifies digital education and infrastructure as key strategies for national transformation. He added that the 2026–2028 Strategic Investment Priority Plan also classifies digital education projects as a priority area for incentives.

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Belmonte said “one of the clearest opportunities” is the use of AI in the classroom as a learning tool, noting that it can help teachers support students who learn at different paces.

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“AI-powered personalized learning, adaptive assessments, and intelligent tutoring systems are not future concepts—they are tools that can be deployed now to help teachers reach students at different paces and levels,” he said.

“The policy foundation is there. What we need is to accelerate implementation so that AI becomes part of daily instruction, not just a subject taught in schools,” he added. “The sooner we find ways to bring that into daily instruction, the more our students stand to gain.”

READ: CitizenWatch demands data storage laws amidst surge in AI usage

To properly integrate digital technology into the education system, Belmonte said teachers will need training programs to learn how to use new tools, while more public schools will require devices to take advantage of improved connectivity.

School curricula will also need “tighter, more frequent check-ins” to keep pace with technological developments.

“These are challenges where the private technology sector can be a partner of education,” Belmonte said.

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Moreover, national agencies must coordinate with local government units to provide last-mile connectivity to schools and barangays, he added. /mcm