AI Preparedness in the Philippine Academe and Cybersecurity at Schools, Discussed at VST ECS CXO Tech Summit 2026 Media Briefing

Technology leaders discuss AI readiness and cybersecurity for Philippine schools during the VST ECS CXO Tech Summit 2026 Media Briefing at Shangri-La Boracay on October 22, 2026.

• Academe at the summit: Delegates represented universities, colleges, and education-related organizations, reflecting increased interest in AI preparedness across the education sector.
• Educator readiness: HP Philippines discussed customized AI Academy programs intended to help teachers build skills and guide students in using AI tools.
• Security and infrastructure: Fortinet outlined cybersecurity training efforts, while Nutanix discussed flexible technology environments that support student experimentation.

The growing importance of artificial intelligence in Philippine education was reflected in the Filipino academe’s expanded presence at the VST ECS CXO Tech Summit 2026. 

Delegates from 14 academic institutions and education-related organizations joined the gathering, held October 20 to 23 at Shangri-La Boracay under the theme “Rethinking IT: Powering the AI-Driven Enterprise”. Their participation comes as schools face the connected priorities of preparing students and educators for AI-enabled work and protecting their communities from cybersecurity risks.

The delegate roster included Ateneo de Manila University, Miriam College, Eastern Visayas State University, De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde, Philippine Normal University, the University of the Philippines, National Teachers College by iPeople, Trinity University of Asia, National University, University Computer Center, PHINMA Education, University of the Philippines Los Baños, United Marine Training Center, Inc., and UPITDC.

The Philippines is formalizing the responsible use of AI in higher education. On September 15, 2026, the Commission on Higher Education issued CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 21, series of 2026, covering AI use in teaching, learning, research, and institutional operations, with safeguards for academic integrity, data privacy, human judgment, and student welfare. (source)

During the summit’s media briefing on October 22, representatives from HP, Fortinet, and Nutanix discussed educator AI programs, cybersecurity training, and technology platforms that support student learning. Alongside the broader academe presence at the summit, CHED’s policy framework signals that AI preparedness is becoming an institutional priority for Philippine schools.

HP AI Academy Programs Build Teachers’ AI Readiness

Ida Ong-Co, Managing Director of HP Philippines, said that Hewlett Packard is running customized AI Academy programs for teachers, including one with Ateneo de Naga University. 

“We have a customized AI Academy program for the teachers,” she said. Ong-Co described it as a way to strengthen teachers’ skills so they can help students use AI tools: “It’s a program wherein [we are] really enhancing their skill sets with how they can actually share the AI tools to their students as well.”

She added that HP is also running its AI Academy program for schools in Pasig City. The company plans to develop more customized initiatives to help teachers prepare their students for an AI-driven future.

Internationally, HP’s broader education work includes the Innovation and Digital Education Academy, or HP IDEA, a professional development program that supports educators’ digital skills and school innovation. Its approach combines digital pedagogy, collaborative learning, and responsible AI integration, with educators developing practical responses to challenges in their own school communities. HP’s separate AI Teacher Academy, co-developed with Digital Promise, covers generative AI concepts, ethics, prompt engineering, and learning design. More information is available through the HP AI Academy.

Cybersecurity skills remain a critical requirement

Bambi Escalante, Country Manager of Fortinet Philippines, said the Philippines faces a cybersecurity skills gap. She cited an estimated ratio of one cybersecurity professional for every 2,000 to 3,000 employees, compared with what she described as an ideal ratio of one to 200. “There is a widening gap here in the Philippines,” she said, adding that it is becoming more pronounced “especially with the advent of new technology such as AI.”

Escalante outlined Fortinet’s global cybersecurity training initiatives, including its goal of training one million people. “Part of our ESG goal is to train one million people, right, on cybersecurity,” she said. “We made available to the public our training materials, so anyone can log in to our website and have that free training. We’re close to our goal already, about 900,000-plus trained.”

“Here in the Philippines, we also have what we call the Forti Academy, where we partner with learning institutions, educational institutions. We have signed up with the likes of Holy Angel, Mapua, Don Bosco,” Escalante added. The program trains faculty and makes Fortinet Network Security Expert certification programs available to participating schools, enabling them to teach industry-recognized cybersecurity skills.

Escalante also described Fortinet’s work with organizations to raise employee awareness throughout the year. “October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. We have numerous activities this month in particular, but any other month in the year, where we also partner with organizations and bring cybersecurity awareness to the employees.”

Flexible technology environments support learning

Daryush Ashjari, APJ CTO and VP of Solution Engineering at Nutanix, said students benefit from exploring different technology stacks. He noted that CIOs must balance an open environment for experimentation with the need to manage technology across an institution.

He noted that schools need technology platforms that give students room to experiment while allowing IT teams to manage different tools and technology layers.

“So what we’ve done at Nutanix is create a very open platform that the IT can embrace different level of technology at different layers. So the students, in this case, a very curious set of users, can experience different technology layers and learn from them,” Ashjari said.

Building AI-Ready, Cyber-Resilient Campuses

Preparing the academe for AI requires more than access to tools. Institutions need to equip educators to assess AI systems, apply them effectively in learning, and guide students in their responsible use. The CHED framework supports this work by guiding AI adoption across teaching, learning, research, and campus operations, with safeguards for academic integrity, data privacy, human judgment, and student welfare.

Cybersecurity must advance alongside AI adoption. Students and faculty need practical guidance on account security, privacy, social engineering, and safe use of digital platforms. School administrators, in turn, must protect institutional data and systems through clear policies, capable teams, and appropriate infrastructure.

The range of academic institutions represented at the VST ECS CXO Tech Summit 2026 reflected the breadth of this agenda. Moving from AI experimentation to responsible, sustained use will require coordinated investment in educator development, cybersecurity skills, student safeguards, and flexible technology environments that IT teams can manage.