The Department of National Defense (DND) is accelerating efforts to bolster the country’s cyber defenses and artificial intelligence (AI) integration following high-level talks with United States officials aimed at countering modern security threats.
National Defense Undersecretary for Information Systems and Cybersecurity Fabian Pedregosa met on Friday, May 22, with William Guidera, the US Department of Commerce’s acting assistant secretary for industry and analysis, at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
The bilateral discussion centered on defense modernization, secure digital infrastructure, AI adoption, and trusted technologies.
During the meeting, Pedregosa highlighted critical structural reforms within the Philippine defense sector designed to combat digital threats. These include the activation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Cyber Command and the creation of his own office, the Office of the Undersecretary for Information Systems and Cybersecurity.
According to the DND, these institutional changes are geared toward enhancing the nation’s cyber resilience and integrating advanced technologies into military operations.
”AI-enabled capabilities for cybersecurity response, threat intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and decision-making,” the DND stated, emphasizing the ultimate goal of the current modernization roadmap.
The push to fortify the country’s digital frontier comes amid a surge in cyber intrusions targeting Philippine government networks and critical infrastructure, alongside escalating geopolitical tensions in the West Philippine Sea. Defense officials have previously warned that foreign cyber operations and state-backed disinformation campaigns pose severe risks to public trust and national security.
To address these vulnerabilities, the DND has prioritized upgrading its C4ISTAR capabilities—the military framework governing command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance.
Defense leadership has acknowledged that fragmented cyber systems and weak digital infrastructure remain significant blind spots in the country’s overall security posture.
For its part, the American delegation outlined Washington’s strategic priorities regarding trusted AI partnerships and international technology cooperation.
The US representatives “reaffirmed the importance of the Philippines–United States alliance in advancing secure and resilient technology ecosystems,” according to the defense department.
The meeting also explored future collaborations in workforce development, cybersecurity capability-building, and potential partnerships with US private sector tech firms. Both nations concluded the dialogue by pledging to develop future-ready tech ecosystems to support mutual security and defense modernization goals under long-standing frameworks like the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).