Sherwin Pelayo

07/01/2026

✨ 𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐈: 𝐀 𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧

In my earlier post on "Children, AI Chatbots, and the Role of Adults," many of you echoed the same concern: 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫-𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫-𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞.

That conversation made me think about how we have been here before.

Many of us in Gen X grew up with 𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭. It was television: new, powerful, and once feared by some as dangerous. Yet it did not raise us 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦.

Sesame Street worked because 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝:
🧠 Educators and child psychologists shaped the content.
📚 Values mattered as much as literacy.
🧩 Parents understood it was a 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭, not a substitute.

Today, AI feels like this generation's "new TV."

The issue is not that children are using AI. The issue is when we 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭.

Technology can support learning but, only when:
🚧 Adults set boundaries.
💬 Context and values are explained.
🌱 Curiosity is guided, not outsourced.

Maybe the lesson is not to ban AI or fear it, but to remember what worked before.

We did not grow up better 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 of screens. We grew up better because 𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞.

👉 We once shaped technology around children. Are we doing the same with AI? Or are we quietly stepping back?

04/01/2026

✨ 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧, 𝐀𝐈 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬

I spoke with GMA Integrated News yesterday about the risks of children using AI chatbots.

As AI becomes more accessible, especially to young users, we need to be clear: 𝐀𝐈 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞.

While many platforms include safety features, AI systems do not understand ethics, emotional context, or child development. Risks remain, including exposure to inappropriate content, misinformation, emotional reliance, and privacy concerns.

The discussion should not be about banning AI, but about responsible use. This means clear boundaries, parental controls, age-appropriate settings, and open conversations with children.

𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐈-𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝.

Watch the short feature here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSVdOxvohHE.

03/01/2026

✨ 𝐎𝐧 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬, 𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐎, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 & 𝐀𝐈 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞

In those quiet, end-of-year days of 2025, I was (literally) cleaning house when it finally happened.

I decided to inventory my LEGO collection (turns out I have 511 sets!) and, in the process, I stumbled across things I had not looked at in years. Old notes. Old books. And, eventually, my undergraduate diploma in Physics.

I've always wondered why I took Physics but, after seeing my LEGO collection, that's when something clicked.

𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬, 𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞: how fundamental pieces of the universe behave, how they interact, and how simple rules can produce complex systems.

LEGO, if you think about it, is the same idea: just scaled down and far more colorful. Individual pieces do not mean much on their own. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲.

💡 And suddenly, my work today made a lot more sense.

My commitment to workforce development in analytics and AI is not just about tools, models, or technology. It is about helping people understand how different skills, data, roles, and decisions fit together — and how 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭.

📊 Analytics and AI are not standalone solutions.
👥 People are not interchangeable components.
🚀 Progress happens when we focus on how things connect.

Maybe this was always there — shaped by Physics lectures and LEGO bricks on the floor — and I am just now finding the language for it.

🎉 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫, 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔! (𝐀𝐧𝐝, 𝐲𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐎 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥!)

01/01/2026

✨ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

Just when I thought 2025 was wrapped up, an incredibly important conversation on AI in the Philippines came up last December 30 — and it was one worth having.

Hosted by Atty. Jocelle Batapa Sigue through DigiLinkPH, the discussion featured Tim Santos, who presented the Philippine AI Report 2025 – Executive Brief, a landmark work he led and developed with Swarm.

Doc Ligot and I were honored to share our reactions to this highly anticipated report, which lays the groundwork for how AI can responsibly and effectively shape the country’s future.

Below is the full text of my reaction.

🔗 Download the Executive Brief here: https://sw.army/phaireportlts
🌐 Stay updated via: https://philippineaireport.com

🚀 The full Philippine AI Report drops early January, featuring deeper insights and practical implementation guidelines across multiple sectors. Definitely one to watch.

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Let me start by saying why this report is important, especially for us at the Analytics & Artificial Intelligence Association of the Philippines (AAP).

For AAP, this report is not just a snapshot of the market. It is a mirror. It helps us ask a hard but necessary question: with all the frameworks, roadmaps, standards, and conversations we have been driving over the past few years, have we actually moved the needle, and where should we focus next?

And the answer this report gives us is very instructive.

The Philippines does not have an AI awareness problem. We also do not lack experimentation. More than ninety percent of organizations have already used AI. Leaders are paying attention, and value is being created. But most of that value remains stuck at the level of pilots, personal productivity, and surface-level automation.

In other words, we are rich in experimentation, but poor in scale.

And the reason is not the technology.

The bottlenecks are skills, trust, foundations, and increasingly, policy clarity. Organizations lack people who can translate AI into business outcomes, not just build or use tools. They lack governance that allows AI to be trusted in real operational decisions. Many are trying to run AI on fragmented data and legacy systems that were never designed for it.

At the same time, many companies are waiting. They are waiting for clearer signals from government. They are waiting for AI legislation that gives them confidence to commit at scale. Right now, the bills in Congress are largely framed around regulation and control. While safeguards are important, this framing does not yet inspire innovation or investment. For many organizations, the uncertainty slows bold moves.

This also helps explain the rise of shadow AI. Employees are moving faster than institutions. People are paying for tools out of pocket because they work. But without clear governance and policy direction, that speed creates risk rather than sustainable advantage.

So the next phase for the Philippines is not about more tools, and it is not about more pilots.

It is about capability and confidence.

For AAP, this clarifies our next chapter. We need to help shift the conversation from broad AI literacy to role-based competence, from principles to operational governance, and from fragmented pilots to strong data and system foundations. At the same time, we must help shape an enabling policy environment, one that protects Filipinos while giving organizations the confidence to innovate responsibly.

If 2025 proved that AI works, then 2026 must be the year we prove that we can execute it well.

Because the organizations and countries that win in AI will not be the ones that experiment the most, but the ones that build trust, capability, and clarity at scale.

18/10/2025

I’m excited to share that I’ll be speaking at the 13th PCAAE Associations Summit on November 6, 2025, at the vibrant Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga! Hosted by the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) and supported by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines, this year’s Summit carries the theme “Power of Unity: Connect, Convene, Collaborate” and the sub-theme “Empowering Associations, Amplifying Impact.” Join over 100 association and business leaders from across the country and the region in celebrating and strengthening the vital role of associations in national development.

03/09/2024

Harnessing AI’s Potential in the ASEAN Region Responsibly

Experience the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with Standards Australia. As AI shapes up to be a critical emerging technology, it’s revo...

13/06/2024

Tuloy po tayo sa Bayang Digital!

02/06/2024

Tuloy po tayo sa Bayang Digital!

23/05/2024

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 & 𝐀𝐈 (𝐏𝐒𝐅-𝐀𝐀𝐈)
𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵 08: 𝘌𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘙𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦

The Enabling Skills and Competencies (ESCs) are the core, critical, essential skills, or what are also called as Skills to Build Skills.

Like FSCs, each ESC would have a reference document that contains proficiency descriptors, a list of underpinning knowledge and skills application, and a list of related tools and technology. The competencies of ESCs are presented as three levels: basic, intermediate, and advanced.

To develop a full set of curricula with the associated contents requires much more resources and effort. Subject matter expertise is required to cluster the Underpinning Knowledge (UK) and Skills Application (SA) statements into meaningful outcomes with appropriate content. These will then have to be constructively aligned with the assessment criteria to assess the knowledge and skills transfer. There could also be articulation of modules to other programs to facilitate learning progression and mobility.

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With the official launch of the Philippine Skills Framework for the ICT Industry last May 7, 2024, what follows is a series of posts meant to introduce the skills framework for the Philippine Analytics & AI Sector to the general public. This is being brought to you by the Department of Information and Communications Technology - DICT and the Analytics & Artificial Intelligence Association of the Philippines.

Please visit the PSF-AAI microsite at https://bit.ly/psf-aai.