Philippines rejects becoming AI‑hub dumping ground

Speaker of the House Martin Romualdez said the Philippines must negotiate terms that protect national interests before allowing foreign AI infrastructure.

Critics argue that unchecked AI hub development could lead to data exploitation and environmental strain.

The administration has pledged to review any proposals for compliance with existing cyber‑security laws.

The debate comes as several U.S. tech firms scout Southeast Asian locations for low‑cost AI compute power.