An official of ePLDT is hopeful for the release of a government policy that will ensure data sovereignty, eyed to bolster the country’s attractiveness as a data center hub in the region.
In a briefing Monday for the launch of PLDT’s information and communication technology (ICT) arm’s partnership with Dell Technologies and Katonic AI to power the country’s first sovereign AI solution stack, Pilipinas AI, in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, ePLDT president and chief executive officer Victor Genuino said they have been in talks with officials of the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT).
He said the talks with the private sector advisory council “have been very, very positive”, noting they have been told that it will be released “soon.”
“We're hoping (that it will be released) this year,” he added.
To date, Genuino said what is available is a DICT Department Order on the Cloud First Policy, which classifies data on four tiers, from highly sensitive to non-sensitive.
He, however, noted that the said regulation does not have specifics on what data are considered sensitive and whether this covers the private sector or not.
“So, hopefully this new policy or department order, or in whatever form will enhance that,” he said, adding the government is the largest user of data in the country to date.
Genuino said the release of the needed regulation will boost the country’s capacity and ability to cater to more major data center players.
He added the issue of data infrastructure, internet connectivity, and power generation is now being addressed.
For one, the Pilipinas AI facility in Sta. Rosa, which is located in a five-hectare land previously used a warehouse of PLDT, has a Manila Electric Company (Meralco) switching station and a renewable energy (RE) substation of Vitro, a subsidiary of ePLDT that caters hyperscale-grade data centers.
Genuino said they already have several clients in the facility, one of which is a hyperscaler or a massive facility that has the capacity to handle a large volume of data and storage.
“But, I think, the last thing that is really needed is a regulation that will very explicitly specify that sovereign data, sovereign sensitive data has to be domiciled in the Philippine shores. That’s for our protection,” he added.
