LIGAO CITY – Albay 3rd District Rep. Raymond Adrian “Adrian” Salceda, House Special Committee on Food Security chairman, has announced an upcoming partnership between Albay and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for a first-ever Artificial Intelligence (AI) Readiness Institute in the country that will focus on agriculture, among others.
Salceda, who discussed the partnership concept with TESDA Secretary Francisco Benitez on August 14, said the AI course offering will most likely reel off in October this year, and will also delve on the speedy and smooth delivery of government services, public safety, disaster response, and basic health services.
The initiative toes the line of President Marcos’ goals of boosting food and agriculture productions, he explained. The AI Readiness Institute, which can be accessed online, will equip workers, students, and entrepreneurs with the skills needed to thrive in an economy that is increasingly shaped by AI.
It means Albay will lead the initiative throughout the country for a local AI institute. “I want it started here in Albay because we have many ‘virtual assistants’ who will benefit from it. We also have many students who are interested in it,” he added.
Salceda said the course will initially focus on Albay’s large “virtual assistant workforce,” many of whom are based in his third district, and will cover TESDA assessment fees for its free online programs to ensure that certifications will remain accessible.
Over time, the institute will branch out into AI applications in agriculture, delivery of government services, public safety and disaster response, and basic health services, he stressed. These fields are vital to both economic growth and quality of life in the province, noted Salceda, a ‘Gawad Saka’ National Awardee.
In the same meeting, Salceda and Benitez discussed specific measures to help boost rice productivity in Albay’s 3rd District, long regarded as the province’s rice granary. The course includes “targeted farmers’ training, introduction of AI assisted crop management tools, and expanded access to TESDA’s agri- mechanization and precision agriculture courses.”
“The President has instructions for TESDA to help enhance crop harvest. These efforts aim to increase agricultural yields, improve farmers’ income and strengthen local food security,” he concluded.
