ROBOTICS AND JOBS: TIME FOR A NATIONAL CABINET CLUSTER ON AUTOMATION

 ROBOTICS AND JOBS: TIME FOR A NATIONAL CABINET CLUSTER ON AUTOMATION

The robots are not coming—they are already here.

From driverless cars and agricultural drones to robots that clean homes and assist in hospitals, the age of automation is unfolding before our eyes. In countries like Japan and Germany, robots are already working together with humans. The question is: Are we prepared for this reality in the Philippines?

We are at a crossroads. On one hand, robotics offers extraordinary opportunities for efficiency, safety, and innovation. On the other, it presents very real threats to employment in many sectors that Filipinos depend on for daily survival. We cannot afford to be caught unprepared. The longer we delay, the harder the disruption will hit.

From TWG to Cabinet Cluster: A Strategic Upgrade

Previously, I proposed the creation of a Technical Working Group (TWG) under the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) to study the impact of robotics. But considering how fast automation is advancing—and how deeply it will affect labor, transport, agriculture, industry, and even domestic work—this is no longer just a technical issue.

It is now a national strategic concern.
We need more than a study group. We need a Cabinet Cluster on Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and the Future of Work.

This proposed Cabinet Cluster would be tasked with crafting a unified national policy on robotics and automation—covering regulation, economic strategy, education, and labor protection. Just like the Climate Change Adaptation Cluster or the Economic Development Cluster, this group should be composed of key government departments with overlapping responsibilities.

Key Member Agencies of the Proposed Cabinet Cluster

• Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE): To assess labor risks and lead retraining and skills upgrading.
• Department of Science and Technology (DOST): To oversee technological R&D and set standards for robotics and AI use.
• Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT): To coordinate data systems, cybersecurity, and infrastructure needs.
• Department of Trade and Industry (DTI): To balance innovation with enterprise support, especially for MSMEs.
• Department of Agriculture (DA): To regulate agricultural robotics and protect farmer livelihoods.
• Department of Transportation (DOTr): To regulate autonomous vehicles and prepare infrastructure.
• Department of Education (DepEd) and Commission on Higher Education (CHED): To redesign the curriculum to include automation, coding, and critical thinking.
• TESDA: To lead the upskilling of the Filipino workforce through technical-vocational programs.

This cluster should ideally be chaired by the Executive Secretary or the Secretary of DOST and should report directly to the President. Automation is simply too critical—and too cross-cutting—to be managed by any single agency in isolation.

Why a Cabinet Cluster Matters

Technology doesn’t wait for legislation. We must create a framework that both welcomes innovation and protects human dignity and labor.

Consider these realities:

• Driverless transport threatens millions of jobs in our jeepney, taxi, and bus sectors.
• Household robots may reduce employment opportunities for domestic helpers.
• Automated farming equipment may displace rural farmers if not properly managed.
• AI-powered chatbots and clerical tools are already reshaping white-collar work in call centers and offices.

The goal is not to stop automation—but to shape it. To ensure that robots and AI serve us, not displace us. To make technology a bridge to inclusive progress, not a wall that separates the privileged from the poor.

Policy Recommendations for the Cluster

1.   National Robotics Strategy
Set a 10-year roadmap balancing innovation and employment safeguards.

2.   Incentives for Human-Robot Collaboration
Promote “cobots” (collaborative robots) that assist workers rather than replace them.

3.   Skills Transition Programs
Create training pipelines for displaced workers to move into robot maintenance, programming, and logistics.

4.   AI and Automation Laws
Determine if we need new legal protections, data privacy rules, or ethical standards for human-machine interaction.

5.   Pilot Zones for Automation
Designate “automation sandbox zones” where robotic technologies can be tested alongside labor protections.

6.   International Partnerships
Work with countries like South Korea and Japan to adapt their best practices while keeping the Filipino context in mind.

7.   Public Awareness Campaigns
Inform citizens about the coming automation wave and how they can prepare, rather than panic.

Final Thoughts

Mr. President, this is a defining issue of our time. If we delay, we will be reactive instead of proactive. We will end up protecting old jobs instead of creating new ones. We will see discontent rise as machines replace people, without giving our citizens the tools to adapt.

Let’s be clear: we cannot stop technology—but we can govern its use.

A Cabinet Cluster on Robotics and Automation is no longer a luxury. It is a necessity. Let us face the future not with fear, but with foresight. Let us turn disruption into development—powered not just by machines, but by a government that knows how to lead in a new era.

The future is knocking. Let’s answer it—wisely and together.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres
iseneres@yahoo.com, senseneres.blogspot.com

09-08-2025