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The Philippines Advances Anticipatory Governance through Strategic Foresight and Artificial Intelligence (AI) August 28, 2026

Virtual – The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)’s Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG), through its United Nations Project Office on Governance (UNPOG), in collaboration with the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) through its Local Government Academy (LGA), and the Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration (EROPA), with support from the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office in the Philippines, convened the Follow-up Workshop on Strategic Foresight and AI Nexus for Advancing Anticipatory Governance and Policy Innovation in the Philippines on 14 and 18 August 2026.

Building on the Leadership Workshop held in November 2025, the follow-up workshop brought together 577 participants, including 91 representatives from national government institutions and 486 from local authorities. Facilitated by Mr. Marius Oosthuizen of the Foresight Faculty at the University of Pretoria, the workshop provided an opportunity for participants to deepen their practical understanding of strategic foresight and responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) and explore approaches to institutionalizing these practices in governance. The discussions highlighted the need to move beyond reactive and siloed approaches towards more anticipatory, agile and adaptive governance.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Changseob Han, Head of UNPOG/DPIDG/UN DESA, underscored the importance of connecting AI, strategic foresight and institutional capacity, and noted that “integrating these elements can help governments make better decisions today while preparing for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow”.

Across the two workshop sessions, participants explored strategic foresight tools, including horizon scanning, signal analysis, scenario planning, systems thinking and backcasting, to identify emerging risks and opportunities and incorporate consideration of alternative futures into policymaking. AI was examined as a complementary tool that can help public institutions work with complex information, identify patterns, explore possible scenarios and support more informed decision-making. Discussions also stressed that its use should remain subject to human oversight and be supported by appropriate safeguards, reliable data, transparency and clear accountability.

At the national level, government representatives shared practical applications of foresight and AI in development planning, innovation policy, science and technology, regulatory reform and public service delivery. The National Innovation Council highlighted the use of horizon scanning to inform development planning, while the Department of Science and Technology presented the PAGANO 2050 foresight programme and efforts to strengthen data infrastructure for AI-enabled decision-making. The Anti-Red Tape Authority also showcased digital platforms supporting regulatory transparency, evidence-based rulemaking and responsive government services. These experiences demonstrated the potential of foresight and AI to strengthen policymaking while highlighting the importance of moving beyond individual pilots towards more systematic institutionalization through strengthened capacities, cross-agency collaboration, policy laboratories and sustained training.

Against this backdrop, Mr. Ozcan Saritas, UN CEPA Member and Professor of Future Foresight and Planning, Senior Advisor in Governance, Public Policy and Sustainable Development, cautioned against focusing on tools before defining their purpose, and added that governments should first understand “what we are trying to do and where we want to be” before formulating an appropriate methodology and selecting the right tools, whether foresight methods or AI applications. He also emphasized that "that public institutions must transition from a reactive stance to future-ready, anticipatory governance by strategically integrating AI-enabled systemic foresight methodologies to detect weak signals, explore alternative scenarios, and stress-test strategic options for resilient future that leaves no one behind". Ms. Valentina Amuso, Associate Professor in Political Economy and Comparative Politics at University College London (UCL) Political Science and the School of Public Policy, highlighted the importance of broad participation in shaping futures, noting that “AI can be of extreme use in order to produce some foresight scenarios and be utilized as a tool,” while good policies should also involve “civil society, academia and different stakeholders”. She added that "AI can be extremely useful for producing foresight scenarious and can be utilised as a tool, but it should note be treated as a replacement for critical thinking". Ms. Ana Thorlund, Governance and Public Administration Expert at UNPOG/DPIDG/UN DESA, further highlighted the need for governments to look beyond emerging challenges, stating that they “cannot rely solely on responding to challenges after they emerge” but need to “look ahead, identify emerging risks and opportunities, use strategic foresight to inform anticipatory governance and prepare for a range of possible futures.”

At the local level, participants examined how foresight and AI can support planning, risk management and service delivery. Quezon City shared its use of alternative spatial development scenarios, socio-economic data, geographic information systems and citizen feedback to inform its Comprehensive Land Use Plan and anticipate climate and disaster risks. Mandaluyong City highlighted the integration of foresight into planning cycles, alongside the use of AI, weather data and flood prediction to support risk management and public services. The discussions also identified priorities for scaling these approaches, including stronger data interoperability, analytical capacities, institutional ownership and partnerships across government, academia and other stakeholders.

The workshop concluded with a call to translate the learning into concrete, localized actions, including integrating foresight into planning and decision-making and strengthening collaboration across national and local government, the United Nations and academia. Dr. Lizan Perante Calina, Development Academy of the Philippines, Office of the President, highlighted the importance of building foresight capabilities across government and equipping public servants with the skills and competencies to apply foresight as a lens for planning, policymaking and service delivery. Reflecting on the discussions, she noted that foresight “is not a luxury for calm times” but a discipline that institutions must build into how they “think, plan and decide.” She concluded with a forward-looking message: “The future is uncertain but our readiness does not have to be.” The workshop reaffirmed the Philippines’ growing momentum towards institutionalizing anticipatory governance and demonstrated how strategic foresight, responsible AI, robust data and inclusive governance can help public institutions anticipate uncertainty, strengthen resilience and deliver more responsive, future-ready services.

To learn more about the workshop, click here.
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