IN a move to shield Filipino workers from the looming threat of full automation and AI-driven job displacement, Cavite 2nd District Representative Lani Mercado-Revilla has filed a landmark bill seeking to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the Philippines——ensuring innovation goes hand in hand with ethics, worker protection, and national interest.
House Bill No. 252, or the “Artificial Intelligence Regulation Act,” proposes the creation of an Artificial Intelligence Bureau under the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), which will lead the country’s policy direction on AI governance, innovation, and worker protection.
“AI is not just a buzzword—it’s a powerful force reshaping our world. We must embrace innovation, but not at the expense of our workers’ dignity, livelihood, and rights,” Rep. Mercado-Revilla said.
Under the proposed bill, the AI Bureau will spearhead the development of a national AI strategy, monitor ethical compliance across sectors using AI technologies, and establish safeguards to prevent mass displacement of workers. The Bureau will also be tasked to publish a national roadmap on the responsible use of AI within one year of the law’s effectivity.
In light of recent controversies surrounding AI misuse—including deepfake videos impersonating national leaders—the bill emphasizes data privacy, human dignity, and democratized access to emerging technologies as core principles of AI governance.
“This bill is both pro-innovation and pro-worker. We want the Philippines to be a leader in ethical AI use—one that protects human rights while promoting technological progress,” Mercado-Revilla stressed.
Once passed into law, the measure will ensure that public and private institutions operate under a unified framework in adopting AI, guided by transparency, responsibility, and public interest.
The funding for the implementation of the act and the operation of the AI Bureau shall be sourced from the General Appropriations Act.
