Philippines' UMIC Status: Digital Infrastructure Needs Matched by Education Reforms, Says Consumer Group

MANILA, Philippines — A consumer advocacy group is urging the government, telcos and educational institutions to synchronize digital infrastructure expansion with education reforms. According to CitizenWatch Philippines, the country’s transition to upper-middle-income status will only translate into sustained economic growth if learners are equipped with the skills needed in an increasingly digital economy. The group said the Philippines’ recent reclassification as an upper-middle-income country (UMIC) presents a timely opportunity to ensure that investments in connectivity are matched by equally strong investments in digital education and workforce readiness. The Philippines formally attained UMIC status after the World Bank reclassified the country last July 1, following an increase in its gross national income (GNI) per capita to 4,636 threshold. The World Bank attributed the milestone to broad-based economic expansion, with the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) growing by an average of 5.8% annually over the past five years across major industries. CitizenWatch co-convenor lawyer Kit Belmonte described the country’s new income classification as a significant milestone after decades of slow economic progress, but said it also underscores the need for the education sector to keep pace with the rapid transformation of the digital economy. “Government and industry have moved with real intent on infrastructure — fiber, 5G, data centers, AI-ready networks. That progress deserves recognition. The opportunity now is to bring education reform into that same rhythm, so the investment in connectivity and the investment in learning are advancing together rather than on separate timelines,” Belmonte said. Belmonte cited the recent recognition by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of Globe Telecom’s launch of Starlink direct-to-cell service and its continuing network expansion. He cited Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Aguda, who said these initiatives are helping move the country closer to near-universal internet access, a critical foundation for a more inclusive digital economy. Belmonte said the government’s existing policy framework already supports greater integration of technology into education. “The Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 explicitly prioritizes digital education and digital connectivity as key strategies for national transformation, while the 2026-2028 Strategic Investment Priority Plan classifies digital education projects as a priority area eligible for incentives, creating a clear policy runway for integrating technology into learning,” Belmonte said. According to Belmonte, artificial intelligence represents one of the strongest opportunities to modernize Philippine education because it can already be integrated into classroom instruction rather than being taught solely as a standalone subject. “AI-powered personalized learning, adaptive assessments, and intelligent tutoring systems are not future concepts — they are tools that can be deployed now to help teachers reach students at different paces and levels. The policy foundation is there. What we need is to accelerate implementation so that AI becomes part of daily instruction, not just a subject taught in a lab,” he said. Belmonte added that artificial intelligence can help address differences in students’ learning pace and improve classroom instruction, allowing teachers to deliver more personalized education while maximizing available digital resources. “This is less about urgency for its own sake and more about not letting a genuinely useful tool sit on the shelf while other education systems are already integrating AI,” he said. He emphasized that realizing these goals will require stronger collaboration among government agencies, educational institutions, local government units, and the private technology sector. Among the priorities, he said, are expanding teacher training programs, providing more digital devices to public schools, and ensuring that curriculum reviews by the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies. “These are challenges where the private technology sector can be a ‘big brother’ partner of education,” Belmonte said. Belmonte likewise pointed to persistent bottlenecks in delivering last-mile internet connectivity to schools and barangays, citing permitting requirements and coordination issues between national agencies and local government units as continuing obstacles to achieving nationwide digital access. “It is a coordination and political will challenge more than anything else, where a visionary mindset that embraces digital transformation as foundational for nurturing a talented workforce to thrive in this competitive global digital economy,” Belmonte said. (Contributed story)