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| Google's Vice President for Government Affairs and Public Policy Marcus Jadotte in the trilateral summit between the United States, Japan and the Philippines (Image Source: Manila Standard/Google) |
At the recently concluded trilateral summit between the United States, Japan, and the Philippines held in Washington D.C., Google reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the digital development of the country through a number of ways including digital skilling and infrastructure, AI (Artificial Intelligence), and playing a key role in the implementation of the National Cybersecurity Plan.
Through its programs and products, Google has been instrumental in advancing digital transformation in the Philippines. In fact, according to the Economic Impact Report first published in 2021, local businesses and consumers are estimated to derive total annual economic benefits from Google’s products worth Php363.4B (US$7.4B) and Php214.5B (US$4.3B), respectively. By enabling businesses to unlock new revenue streams and expand their businesses through the use of Google Ads, AdSense, and YouTube, Google indirectly supports over 110,000 jobs in the country. In his speech at the summit, Google Vice President for Government Affairs and Public Policy for Cloud Marcus Jadotte said, “Google is very proud to have been a part of the investment story in the Philippines since 2013. We’re very proud of the jobs and opportunities we’ve created across our products from Search, Google Maps, YouTube and Android. We’ve also focused on growing our presence and investment in the Philippines working closely with Filipino businesses and the public sector in their digital transformation journey through Google Cloud, Google Ads, and more recently, with our largest and most capable AI model Gemini.”
Jadotte mentioned opportunities around AI and in supporting the implementation of the National Cybersecurity Plan as part of Google’s commitment to the Philippines, stating, "Earlier this year, Google’s cybersecurity experts notified the Philippine government of threat actors attempting to infiltrate government systems. Through intelligence sharing like this and cybersecurity upskilling efforts with the DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology), we hope to be a key partner in implementing the National Cybersecurity Plan. As we enter the era of AI powered by cloud computing and digital infrastructure, a technology-positive regulatory framework and national policies that champion technology that are focused on fortifying the public sector and promoting investment is critical.” In his arrival statement, His Excellency Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said, “Additionally I engaged in fruitful discussions with US technology giant Google regarding internet infrastructure investments aimed at supporting our IT-BPM (Information Technology-Business Process Management) industry through secure data flows. Our conversation also delved into the crucial role of US companies in deploying redundant direct subsea cable links and providing training to Filipinos in digital literacy, cybersecurity, and cloud storage solutions.”
At the US Presidential and Trade Investment Meeting held last March in Malacañang, Google shared key updates abouts its ongoing efforts around digital skilling and digital infrastructure. These include additional Google Career Certificates in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the update that the Taiwan-Philippines-United States subsea cable system is on track to be completed by the end of 2025.
