Iloilo City Makes History with the First-Ever Artificial Intelligence Fest 2025

ILOILO CITY – History was made as Iloilo became the stage for the first-ever Artificial Intelligence Fest (AIFEST) 2025, a three-day celebration of innovation, ethics, and collaboration in AI. With the theme “Coding a Better Future: Responsible AI for Cities and Communities,” the event united leaders from government, academia, industry, and civil society to explore how artificial intelligence can be harnessed for smarter, more inclusive, and sustainable development.

A Grand Opening for a Historic Milestone

The opening program at the Iloilo Convention Center reflected both pride and progress—from the entrance of colors by Iloilo Science and Technology University to the vibrant cultural performances of the Panayana Cultural Group of West Visayas State University. Hosts Shem Ders and Elijah Sandig set an inspiring tone, welcoming innovators, educators, AI enthusiasts, and leaders from across the country.

Mayor Raisa S. Treñas Chu officially welcomed participants, reaffirming Iloilo’s commitment to becoming a premier smart city by 2030 through programs like Smart Metro and partnerships with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and local universities. Vice Governor Nathalie Anne Debuque echoed this vision, calling for AI that connects “science to society, data to decisions, and innovation to inclusion.”

Undersecretary Sancho Maborang of DOST highlighted the department’s role in regional innovation, praising Iloilo for taking the lead in AI integration through initiatives like the AI Hackathon and the AI Regional Development Action Plan.

A Vision for the Nation – Secretary Renato Solidum’s Keynote

DOST Secretary Dr. Renato U. Solidum Jr. delivered a powerful keynote framing AI as a tool to uplift lives, safeguard livelihoods, and create opportunities for every Filipino. He unveiled the National AI Strategy for the Philippines (NAIS-Philippines) built on five pillars: infrastructure, workforce, innovation, ethics, and policy.

Key highlights included:

⦿ ₱2.3 billion invested in 113 AI-related R&D projects since 2017.

⦿ Launch of Juanano, an AI-powered knowledge system linking research to real-world applications.

⦿ A national commitment to AI literacy and workforce reskilling in partnership with DepEd, CHED, TESDA, and industry leaders.

⦿ Strategic AI applications in agriculture, disaster resilience, healthcare, education, energy, and cultural preservation.

Solidum emphasized that Filipino innovation must remain patriotic, excellent, and people-centered—ensuring that no one is left behind in the country’s AI journey.

Four Game-Changing AI Projects Launched

The highlight of AIFEST 2025 was the unveiling of four transformative AI initiatives:

⦿ Talino AI – A citizen-accessible AI platform to help navigate DOST services.

⦿ Smart Grid AI – An energy management system by Iloilo Science and Technology University and MORE Power to improve power distribution efficiency.

⦿ AI-Ready ASEAN – A regional training program to boost AI literacy for 5.5 million youth, educators, and parents across Southeast Asia.

⦿ AI Innovation Sandbox – A partnership between DOST and Amazon Web Services providing cloud-based R&D infrastructure for AI solutions.

The Creative and Competitive Side of AI

Two major side events demonstrated AI’s potential for creativity and problem-solving:

⦿ Cine AI Film Festival – Student teams produced AI-assisted short films under the theme “Remembering Filipino Values, Celebrating Traditions.”

⦿ National AI Hackathon – Ten finalist teams from eight regions tackled challenges in clean energy, climate resilience, blue economy, and agriculture.

Global and Local Perspectives

UNDP’s Mohamed Shahoud shared insights from the 2025 Human Development Report, cautioning against AI-driven inequality and urging investments that enhance human capabilities, link innovation to societal good, and strengthen foundational skills.

AWS ASEAN Industry Lead Pranav Talwar reinforced the importance of partnerships in ensuring AI adoption remains inclusive, ethical, and secure, pledging AWS’s continued support for Philippine AI capacity-building and infrastructure development.

A Future Built Together

From cultural showcases to high-stakes hackathons, from visionary keynotes to concrete project launches, AIFEST 2025 positioned Iloilo—and the Philippines—as emerging leaders in the global movement for responsible AI adoption.

As Secretary Solidum concluded, “Mabuhay ang agham at teknolohiya, mabuhay ang AI sa Bagong Pilipinas!” — a rallying cry for an AI-powered future that is smart, inclusive, and distinctly Filipino.