THE PHILIPPINES needs to strengthen its cyber resilience amid increasing threats emerging from the digital domain, including cyber attacks and foreign information manipulation.
Victor Andres C. Manhit, president of think tank Stratbase ADR Institute, said at the Pilipinas Conference 2025 that the Indo-Pacific faces the challenge of shoring up its cybersecurity defenses.
“As a rising middle power, the Philippines must strengthen its cyber resilience, as the digital front has become a new era or arena for conflict encompassing cyber attacks, artificial intelligence (AI), gray-zone operations, and foreign information manipulation,” he added.
He said threats are emerging that target vulnerabilities through unconventional methods short of outright war.
“We are witnessing faster and more coordinated cyberattacks affecting both government and business,” he said.
“The stakes are even higher when critical infrastructure is targeted. Thus, cyber defense is no longer merely a technical issue; it is essential to national stability,” he added.
This reflects the need to safeguard systems, preserve public trust, and secure the digital future through coordinated and proactive action, he said.
“For the State, this means conducting regular threat assessments, enforcing existing regulations, and prioritizing upskilling to cultivate a workforce capable of addressing rapidly evolving cyber risks,” he said.
“The private sector plays an equally critical role by securing key infrastructure, driving technological innovation, and ensuring business continuity. Strong public-private collaboration is therefore essential to national resilience,” he added.
Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Rhoel R. Aguda said the Philippines is a digital laggard.
“We are falling behind. This is unacceptable. This is not merely about percentages. It is about people. Every point we lose is a missed chance for better jobs, higher income, and a future where every Filipino can take part in the digital age,” he said.
“While we were comfortable, our neighbors were hungry. Our failure, while the rest of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) took advantage of the pandemic to digitize, we did not,” he added.
He said that the Philippines missed the opportunity to fully digitalize during the pandemic.
“This stagnation comes with real cost. Major hyperscalers are bypassing the Philippines, choosing our neighbors instead,” he added, citing the hyperscalers situated in China, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia.
He said that the goal is to make the Philippines the logical landing point of data in Asia.
“We have the talent. We have the geography. Now we must have the infrastructure. But all is not lost. I believe we can not only catch up to our ASEAN neighbors but leapfrog,” he said.
To do this, he said that the country must address the core challenges holding it back — connectivity and digital adoption.
“The President ordered the (Department of Information and Communications Technology) and the rest of the government to fix the problem. He has never wavered in spite of the political noise,” he added.
He said that the Philippines is using the chairmanship of the ASEAN in 2026 to focus on AI.
Kazuya Endo, Japanese ambassador to the Philippines, said that the opportunities and challenges that cyberspace presents require collaboration among like-minded nations.
“In the borderless cyberspace, vulnerabilities within one country or region can quickly become vulnerabilities for the entire international community, causing risks to societies across geographical borders,” he said.
He said this highlights the importance of public-private collaboration and capacity-building support for vulnerable nations.
The Philippines and Japan have been cooperating to enhance the cybersecurity capabilities of the DICT since 2023.
“This tailored initiative has provided targeted cooperation under three pillars. One, enhancing the technical capabilities of DICT’s cybersecurity division. Two, strengthening interagency coordination among relevant Philippine government departments and agencies,” he said. — Justine Irish D. Tabile