SAN FRANCISCO – The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco welcomed Oliver Segovia and a delegation of technology professionals from the Philippine Artificial Intelligence Retreat (PAIR) during a courtesy call held on 19 June 2025 at Romulo Hall, Philippine Center.
Consul General Neil Frank Ferrer, along with Consul Rowena Pangilinan-Daquipil, Trade Commissioner Anne Marie Kristine Umali, and Political Assistant Lalaine Bacha, received the delegation composed of PAIR Fellows — Filipino AI founders, engineers, and researchers working on innovative solutions to real-world challenges in the Philippines.
2025 PAIR Fellows included Adrian Cayaco, head of AI Engineering, Stratpoint Technologies; Allan Tan – chief AI scientist, Predictive Systems Inc.; Beato Bongco – CEO, Anycase AI; Criselle Angeline Peñamante, Master of Medical Sciences in Global Health Delivery graduate, Harvard Medical School; Dana Kathleen Redeña, Engineering lead, Hive Health; Eugene Rex Jalao, professor, University of the Philippines Diliman; Gian Paulo dela Rama, Chief Product and AI Officer, Sprout Solutions, and JP Madulid, deputy CEO, Symph and CEO, Lesson Planner PH.
The PAIR initiative, founded by Segovia and Jordana Valencia, seeks to build a stronger, more connected Philippine AI community by facilitating deep collaboration, knowledge exchange, and exposure to the global technology ecosystem in Silicon Valley. The 2025 Retreat took place from 18 to 20 June and featured a combination of private discussions and a public summit.
During the meeting, each Fellow shared their current work applying AI across key sectors in the Philippines, including:
- Legal innovation: AI for legal research and document automation (Anycase AI)
- Education: AI tools to support teachers and learning personalization (Better-Ed, Lesson Planner PH)
- Healthcare: Interoperable health data platforms (Hive Health) and AI-powered mental health support
- Enterprise tech: AI-enhanced payroll and HR systems (Sprout)
Consul General Ferrer and Consulate officials exchanged views with the delegation on the potential of AI to drive national development and emphasized the importance of cultivating AI talent and innovation in the Philippines. The meeting also touched on broader opportunities, including increased public-private partnerships, AI policy readiness, and the potential for a U.S.–Philippines Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to attract further investment in the technology sector.
PAIR’s visit to San Francisco reflects the growing global engagement of Filipino AI leaders and the Philippines’ rising profile as an emerging innovation hub in Southeast Asia.
The Philippine Artificial Intelligence Retreat (PAIR) is a private retreat with a public summit component that gathers top Filipino AI researchers, founders, and engineers solving critical challenges in the Philippines. PAIR aims to foster lasting relationships, expose participants to global tech ecosystems, and bring actionable insights back to the country.
