DICT and Google Cloud expand AI work for Philippine public services

DICT and Google Cloud are expanding their collaboration to bring Gemini Enterprise, Google Workspace, and AI agents into Philippine government services.

DICT and Google Cloud are expanding their collaboration to bring Gemini Enterprise, Google Workspace, and AI agents into Philippine government services.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology and Google Cloud have expanded a multi-year collaboration covering public sector AI, cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure in the Philippines.

The work is tied to DICT's digital transformation roadmap and the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028. It includes an AI program for government agencies, a cross-agency cyber defense alliance, and connectivity projects linked to subsea cable systems and local network infrastructure.

DICT Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda said the department is working with Google Cloud on AI systems, cyber defense, and network infrastructure to support access to public services and high-speed connectivity in a secure online environment.

AI tools for public services

Under the "AI Agents for Public Sector" program, DICT and Google Cloud have made Gemini Enterprise and Google Workspace available to public servants through the Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management's eMarketplace platform.

The eMarketplace, launched in the first quarter of 2026, serves as the Philippine government's official e-commerce platform for procuring cloud and AI services. It was built on Google Cloud infrastructure and is intended to support more transparent and cost-efficient public procurement.

DICT plans to use the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform to develop and manage AI agents for e-government services. These agents are expected to support citizen-facing services by providing information on administrative procedures through text or voice interactions in local languages.

Possible use cases include guidance on registering a micro-business, checking community health center schedules, and finding information on disaster relief assistance. The aim is to reduce reliance on lengthy documentation for routine public service queries.

More than 50,000 public servants will initially be equipped with the Gemini Enterprise app. The app allows public sector employees to find, create, and use AI agents within a governed enterprise environment.

Google Cloud cited examples such as a city building official using Gemini Enterprise to retrieve pending building permit applications from different data sources. Another example involved an economic analyst using AI agents to review fertilizer price movements, identify supply chain anomalies, and prepare a cited brief for human review.

The platform also connects with Google Workspace and third-party enterprise applications, including Microsoft 365. Outputs such as briefs, charts, or policy documents can be converted into files in Google Docs or Google Slides, or shared through Gmail and Google Chat.

DICT plans to expand access to Gemini Enterprise and Google Workspace to more than 200,000 public servants over the next 18 months. The department said it will track usage, productivity gains, cost savings, and user satisfaction.

Cyber defense across agencies

The collaboration also includes a cyber defense program led by the DICT Cybersecurity Bureau with support from Google Cloud.

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

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

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

The cyber defense framework is intended to help government security teams detect, triage, investigate, and respond to anomalies affecting public sector systems. DICT said this supports the protection of personal data and digital interactions with e-government services.

Jennifer Ligones, country manager for the Philippines at Google Cloud, said the collaboration is focused on applying enterprise AI to localized public services and supporting public sector workers in handling complex tasks.

Connectivity projects support digital services

The collaboration also connects with DICT's National Digital Connectivity Plan.

Google and Pacific Connect initiative partners are extending the Taiwan-Philippines-U.S. subsea cable system. The cable uses multicore fiber technology and is designed to support high-bandwidth, bidirectional data traffic for cloud and AI services.

According to the announcement, the cable is intended to provide higher total capacity at a lower cost per bit. DICT and Google Cloud said this would support cloud connectivity for local organizations using AI services and building applications for international markets.

The Apricot subsea cable system is also part of the broader connectivity work. It provides an additional route intended to improve network redundancy and reduce reliance on congested paths.

DICT said the TPU and Apricot cable systems will be linked with local commercial terrestrial networks and the DICT-managed Luzon Bypass Infrastructure corridor. The setup is intended to reduce domestic routing bottlenecks and support the reliability of e-government services.

The department said improved network capacity would also support Free Wi-Fi for All sites in public schools, hospitals, community centers, and other public locations.