PB urges schools to introduce AI courses

Local

THE Provincial Board (PB) of Cebu has urged educational institutions, especially state universities, to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) courses and integrate AI-related subjects into existing academic programs.

A resolution authored by Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President and Board Member Loren Singco was approved during the July 13 regular session of the PB.

The measure was pushed after the study mission of Singco in Nanning City, Guangxi Province, China, from June 23 to 26, 2026.

Singco was accompanied by representatives from the Provincial Information Office and IT Department of the Capitol, wherein they visited the Guangxi ASEAN Embodied AI Pilot Training Base, the Artificial Intelligence Application Cooperation Center, an automated port, and a vocational school.

Singco, during one of the PB’s regular sessions, said that China has been investing in AI since 2017, while Guangxi began its AI development in 2024.

He said that during their study mission, they witnessed significant progress in China's use of AI, with AI-powered robots capable of serving coffee, performing dance routines, and assisting with household tasks, as well as a fully automated port where driverless trucks transport container vans without human operators.

"And a lesson that we have observed with artificial intelligence is that the way they apply it is to enhance their own industry. It's not used to replace the hard and technical labor, but instead of having humans do the hard and technical labor, they're being trained to design and creatively incorporate the AI into their industry," Singco said.

In his resolution, the lawmaker noted that AI can serve as a valuable educational tool to support students even after graduating from college by enhancing their skills, improving workplace readiness, increasing productivity, and enabling young people to adapt to the evolving demands of their respective professions.

Singco said educational institutions in Nanning are willing to partner with educational institutions in Cebu, especially in IT-related courses at state universities such as Cebu Normal University and Cebu Technological University.

"And as far as I know, there are only a handful of AI-focused courses in Cebu, and these come from private universities. So the real long-term plan for the province is to partner with our educational institutions, especially the state universities, and send representatives from these institutions so that we can create and improve our own AI courses," Singco said.

He added that partnerships among schools, government agencies, and international organizations can strengthen AI education through knowledge sharing, research collaboration, and capacity-building initiatives.(MyTVCebu)