DAVAO City Councilor Bonz Andre Militar said that collaborating with experts in Artificial Intelligence (AI) would make the city's transition into this new technology easier.
During his privilege speech at the Sangguniang Panlungsod on June 2, 2026, Militar said that as the chairperson of the committee on information technology, he has passed several landmark ordinances on digitalization, and with these new laws in place, the next step is to use AI in offices, which could greatly help in analyzing data for city planning and processing requests faster.
“To make this transition successful, we need the help of experts. We need partners who know how to train people for future skills and digital systems,” Militar said.
Militar said that it has been the vision of Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte to digitalize, upgrade, and make the city future-ready. He said that Duterte's vision has enabled the removal of slow processes, the end of long queues, the reduction of red tape, and the greater accessibility of government services for Dabawenyos.
Although Militar said that the use of AI may make Dabawenyos worry about it taking over their jobs and replacing human labor, he, however, assured that AI would never replace human labor in the local government unit (LGU).
He emphasized that the LGU does not see technology as a replacement for its workers; rather, it sees it as a tool to help workers do more. He said that the goal of the local government is to have a balanced and happy workforce through the use of smart digital tools. This way, employees would be freed from repetitive paperwork and allowed to focus on more important work.
Militar said that East West International Education Specialists Inc. (EWIES) can help the local government upgrade its systems safely and competently.
In an interview with the media, Militar said that AI robots could help the city by answering questions if deployed in key areas and could also provide assistance during calamities.
Equipping Dabawenyos to be AI-ready
During the session, EWIES presented its two AI robots, which danced to "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson.
The robots were presented by EWIES and can translate up to 200 languages and respond to selected queries.
Manufacturing the robots costs about P1 million, and this does not include programming. The company hopes that the price will decrease in the coming years.
The robots require one hour of charging, can function for four hours, and use lithium batteries.
Militar said that the robots manufactured by EWIES are cheaper compared to other robots, such as Neo. He said their aim to use robots is grounded in the city's existing use of robots in the Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO), which are even more expensive. He added that the number of AI robots to be procured would depend on the allocated budget.
Dennis Franco M. Layug, president of the Manila-based company EWIES, said that the robots can be used for security purposes, facial recognition, reminders for individuals, and can serve as mentors or tutors, among others.
Layug said they also have robot dogs that could help detect people under rubble during disasters, detect bombs, identify soil conditions for agriculture, and provide medical advice.
Layug assured that their use of AI focuses on human-centered AI, since AI is only used to augment, supplement, and complement human work. He said that human intelligence is more important because robots do not have empathy.
“We want Davao to have the skill sa pagawa po ng AI platforms, yun po yung pinu-push ni Councilor Militar to upskill, be skilled, and recruit the Dabawenyos para po sa Davao po dito magsisimula ang mga AI platforms (We want Davao to become a center for AI platform development. Councilor Militar is advocating for upskilling and training local talent, as well as recruiting Dabawenyos, so that AI platforms can be built and initiated right here in Davao),” he said.
Layug said that through this initiative, Davao City would become an area that produces creators, not only users and subscribers. He said this could help advance the city's digitalization efforts and benefit other areas as well as the Philippines.
He said that the move to upskill Dabawenyos in AI addresses the workforce needs of AI-related sectors. He added that with upskilled Dabawenyos, they could be hired for available international jobs worth P170 million that are expected to be created in this sector.
He said that they chose Davao City because of its efforts to digitalize local government processes and public services.
"We would produce more Dabawenyos para po mas maraming pa pong magawa at makatulong po sa mundo ng AI because it is already part of our lives, and moving forward, we need to make sure that Filipinos would have the skill for AI," he said.
(We aim to develop more Dabawenyos who can build, innovate, and contribute to the field of AI. Since AI is already becoming an integral part of our daily lives, we must ensure that Filipinos are equipped with the skills needed to thrive in an AI-driven future)
AI-ready Davao City
With digitalization at the forefront of Mayor Duterte’s priority programs, the Sangguniang Panlungsod has approved multiple ordinances that utilize AI to improve the city's services and programs.
The council approved on third and final reading a landmark ordinance adopting AI facial recognition technology at the city's entry and exit points to bolster public safety and border security. The ordinance was proposed by Militar and seeks to install AI facial recognition systems in government buildings, parks, seaports, airports, land terminals, shorelines, and other public convergence areas.
The technology will be linked to law enforcement databases to detect individuals flagged for arrest or surveillance, aiding crime prevention and counterterrorism efforts.
Militar also proposed the use of AI to modernize the city's traffic management system amid worsening congestion. He said that the city's traffic lights are outdated – still operating on fixed timers that waste time, fuel, and patience.
Under his proposal, an AI-driven traffic light system would analyze real-time traffic volume and adjust signal timing accordingly. Cameras would monitor intersections and major thoroughfares, optimizing green-light duration and reducing stop-and-go driving. RGP
