With the aim of building a secure, reliable, and trusted AI ecosystem for disaster risk reduction and data-driven governance.
Recently, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) formally sealed a partnership to enhance the flagship Geospatial Analytics & Technology Solutions (GATES) Program.
Launched in 2025 as part of DOST’s ELEV8PH initiative, the said three-year national initiative moves to integrate fragmented geospatial and climate data across government agencies into a unified and interoperable data ecosystem, and leverage advanced geospatial analytics and artificial intelligence to enable digital transformation, enhance evidence-based policymaking, and drive science, technology, and innovation.
Some of the agencies involved include the DOST-PAGASA (weather), DOST-PHIVOLCS (volcanology and seismology), and other attached agencies, with data being woven into a single, AI-ready national data platform for data-driven decision-making.
DOST Secretary Renato Solidum shared, “The DOST is grateful for this partnership with JICA through its Digital Transformation Lab. As we continue to build the GATES Program, this collaboration provides an important opportunity to draw from international expertise and best practices in data governance, digital transformation, and the responsible use of AI.”
He added that through the initiative, DOST aims to “strengthen the foundations of an integrated and interoperable AI-enabled data ecosystem for evidence-based governance.”
Solidum also explained that the department hopes to develop and demonstrate high-impact use cases that can help improve disaster risk reduction, climate resilience, and the delivery of government services.
The collaboration will be undertaken by the JICA Digital Transformation Lab (JICA DXLab) and will formally begin in June 2026 for a period of approximately four months.
The JICA DXLab will provide targeted technical expertise to support the GATES Program’s efforts to enhance data interoperability, governance, and digital transformation capabilities, while exploring pathways for the platform to contribute to broader Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for climate and disaster risk data.
“This is not about Japan bringing solutions to the Philippines. This is about two nations, united by shared vulnerability and shared resolution, building a platform for evidence-based policies together,” stressed JICA Philippines Chief Representative Baba Takashi.
“The expertise lies here — in the DOST scientists, the PAGASA forecasters, the PHIVOLCS researchers. JICA DXLab’s role is to walk alongside you and help accelerate what DOST has already set in motion,” the Japanese official said.
To date, the GATES program has deployed the HANDA integrated preparedness platform, developed an initial data architecture blueprint, and initiated capacity-building and training activities.
Moreover, it also exploring emerging innovation domains such as geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI), predictive analytics, Earth observation applications, and other advanced data-driven technologies that can support planning, governance, resilience, and sustainable development.
GATES operationalizes the Philippines’ National AI Strategy through geospatial intelligence, and is envisioned to serve as a model for data-driven governance across government.
A core objective of the collaboration is to support DOST in building a reliable and secure data platform, which is ready to support advanced analytics at scale.
The GATES program is also expected to eventually serve not just DOST internally, but the broader government ecosystem and the Filipino public.
The second objective is to identify areas where the data platform can meaningfully improve how the government responds to disasters and manages climate risks.
According to DOST, “JICA will work with DOST and its partner agencies to support the development of a consistent, repeatable way of defining and evaluating potential use-case applications, so that limited resources are directed toward initiatives with the greatest national impact such as tools to model the impact of incoming typhoons, dashboards for tracking climate-related risks over time, and planning aids for evacuation.“
This collaboration builds on a longstanding partnership between Japan and the Philippines that dates back to the 1970s, when JICA supported DOST-Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration through the provision of meteorological equipment and technical cooperation, contributing to strengthened observation, forecasting, and early warning systems for typhoons, heavy rainfall, and flooding.