Politics · Philippines Bureau
DOST commits P300M to expand artificial intelligence data center capacity
The Department of Science and Technology has designated P300 million in seed funding to support the expansion of its artificial intelligence data centers. The allocation was disclosed during budget hearings before Congress this week.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is channeling P300 million through its grant-in-aid mechanism to fund the expansion of its AI data center infrastructure, according to officials who outlined the initiative during House appropriations deliberations.
Franz De Leon, director of DOST's Advanced Science and Technology Institute, announced the allocation during Monday's committee hearing on the agency's P30.8 billion budget proposal. The seed funding represents a strategic investment in building out the country's technological capabilities in artificial intelligence and data processing.
The expansion initiative aligns with the government's broader push to strengthen digital infrastructure and position the Philippines as a competitive player in emerging technologies. Data centers form a critical backbone for AI applications and cloud computing services that are increasingly central to economic development and innovation across multiple sectors.
The DOST project underscores growing recognition of the need for domestic capacity in high-tech infrastructure, reducing reliance on foreign facilities while creating opportunities for local technology advancement and job creation in the sector.