Press Releases

Makati City, Philippines – As artificial intelligence continues to reshape global industries and economic competitiveness, the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) is bringing together government and industry leaders to discuss how the Philippines can advance AI adoption while strengthening economic resilience and digital security at its 2026 AI Forum.

Happening on 22 October 2026, the event is themed “Intelligent Industries: AI at the Core of Economic Growth and Security,” and will be held at the Makati Shangri-La. The forum will focus on three key areas: governing intelligence, cyber resilience and digital defense, and enterprise intelligence and sectoral scaling.

The programme will feature keynote addresses from Hon. Dr. Renato Solidum, Jr., Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, and H.E. Massimo Santoro, Ambassador of the European Union to the Philippines, followed by discussions on national AI strategies, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure protection, and practical AI applications for industry and business.

Other speakers and panelists include Hon. Leandro Aguirre, Undersecretary at the Department of Information and Communications Technology; Hon. Eduardo Oban Jr., Secretary of the National Security Council; Atty. Johann Carlos S. Barcena, CESO III, Privacy Commissioner and Chairman of the National Privacy Commission; BGEN Joey T. Fontiveros, Commander of the AFP Cyber Command; and Police Major General Andre Perez Dizon, Director of the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group.

The panels will be moderated by Mr. Karl Bantiling, ECCP ICT Committee Co-Chair; Mr. Anil Bhaskaran, APAC Regional Vice President for Solution Advisory at SAP; and Atty. Felicisimo Agas III, Partner, Quisumbing Torres.

The forum comes as the Philippines advances its national AI agenda and assumes the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2026, creating opportunities to strengthen regional digital cooperation and align with international best practices. Through policy dialogue and private-sector insights, the ECCP aims to foster Philippine-European collaboration toward trusted digital ecosystems, stronger cybersecurity, and wider AI adoption to support the country’s long-term competitiveness.

The ECCP’s 2026 AI Forum is co-presented by SAP, with Embassy Partners: Embassy of Finland in Manila, Embassy of Romania in the Philippines, and Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of the Philippines; Advocacy Partner: Pru Life UK; and Media Partners: iMPACT and The Manila Times.