Philippines expands Google Cloud public sector AI partnership

• DICT and Google Cloud are bringing AI tools into Philippine public services.
• The partnership also covers cyber defence and connectivity projects.

The Philippines’ Department of Information and Communications Technology has widened its multi-year partnership with Google Cloud, with new work covering AI tools for public servants, cyber defenceand network infrastructure.

The collaboration is part of DICT’s digital transformation roadmap and the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028. Its main areas are public sector AI, agency-level cyber defence, and connectivity projects involving subsea cable systems.

The announcement comes as the Philippines’ digital economy reached PhP 2.74 trillion in 2025, equivalent to 9.8% of gross domestic product, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. PSA said the figure was up 5.4% from PhP 2.59 trillion in 2024.

DICT Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda said the department is working with Google Cloud on “AI-driven systems, proactive cyber defence, and network infrastructure” as part of its Digital Bayanihan programme. He linked the work to public service access and secure online connectivity.

AI agents planned for public services

DICT and Google Cloud have made Gemini Enterprise and Google Workspace available to government employees through the Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management’s eMarketplace platform.

The eMarketplace launched in the first quarter of 2026 as the Philippine government’s official procurement platform for cloud and AI services. It was built on Google Cloud infrastructure and is used for public sector purchases of enterprise technology services.

The rollout follows PS-DBM’s March 2026 launch of Google software and licences on the eMarketplace. PS-DBM said these products are now available through the platform as common-use supplies and equipment, with Google as the first supplier.

DICT plans to use the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform to build and manage AI agents for e-government platforms. According to the announcement, the agents will provide information on government procedures through text or voice queries in local languages.

The department cited use cases such as business registration, community health centre schedules, and disaster relief guidance. Citizens would be able to use the agents to ask routine administrative questions.

More than 50,000 public servants will initially receive access to the Gemini Enterprise app. Employees will be able to create and use AI agents within a governed workplace environment.

Google Cloud gave the example of a city building official using the app to search for pending building permit applications submitted in a specific area over a defined period. It also described an economic analyst using AI agents to monitor fertiliser prices and identify supply chain anomalies. In that example, the system drafts a cited report for review.

The system includes connectors to Google Workspace and third-party enterprise applications, including Microsoft 365. Research briefs and policy documents produced through Gemini Enterprise can be moved into Google Docs or Google Slides. Teams can also share outputs through Gmail or Google Chat.

DICT plans to make Gemini Enterprise and Google Workspace available to more than 200,000 public servants over the next 18 months. It said it will track usage, cost savings, and user satisfaction.

Aguda said the department is equipping public servants with AI tools and upskilling programmes to “remove bureaucratic friction”.

Cybersecurity work spans government agencies

The DICT Cybersecurity Bureau has set up a cross-agency cyber defence alliance with support from Google Cloud.

At the National Security Operations Centre, the alliance has deployed Google Cloud Cybershield. The platform combines threat intelligence, Gemini-assisted security operations, and Mandiant expertise for public sector security teams.

Security teams from 56 government agencies have been onboarded and trained on the platform. DICT expects the number to reach 90 agencies by the end of June 2026.

The system is used for centralised monitoring of security events across public sector entities. It is also being used for the digital operations of the ASEAN Summits hosted by the Philippines from April to November 2026.

The cyber defence work follows earlier warnings from Philippine officials about foreign attempts to access intelligence data. Reuters reported in February 2025 that cyber minister Ivan Uy said no breaches had been recorded at the time.

The cyber defence framework covers anomaly detection and assessment across public sector systems. It also covers investigation and response work. DICT said the programme includes protections for personal data used in e-government services.

Jennifer Ligones, Google Cloud’s country manager for the Philippines, said the collaboration is focused on “localised, conversational public services”. She said it also applies enterprise AI tools to public sector work.

Connectivity work linked to subsea cables

The partnership also connects with DICT’s National Digital Connectivity Plan. The related infrastructure work covers subsea cables, terrestrial networks, and air-laser wireless communications technology.

Under the National Digital Connectivity Plan, the government is targeting full internet connectivity across public schools and health centres by 2028. The target also covers barangays. The plan includes about 130,000 Free Wi-Fi sites and connections for 7,063 geographically isolated and disadvantaged barangays.

Google and partners in the Pacific Connect initiative are extending the Taiwan-Philippines-US subsea cable system. The cable uses multicore fibre technology for high-bandwidth, bidirectional data traffic across cloud and AI services.

The TPU extension is part of Google’s wider Pacific Connect initiative. Google Cloud said in 2024 that it would invest US$1 billion in digital connectivity to Japan through new subsea cables and extensions of existing systems, including TPU.

According to the announcement, the TPU cable is expected to provide higher total capacity at a lower cost per bit. DICT and Google Cloud linked the system to cloud connectivity for local organisations using AI services and building applications for overseas markets.

The Apricot subsea cable system is also part of the broader network plan. It provides an additional route for network redundancy and traffic away from congested paths.

DICT said the TPU and Apricot systems will be linked with local commercial terrestrial networks and the DICT-managed Luzon Bypass Infrastructure corridor. The department linked the setup to domestic routing bottlenecks and e-government services.

The department also said the network resources will be used for more Free Wi-Fi for All sites. These include sites in public schools, hospitals, community centres, and other public locations.

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