On 10 February 2026, ANZCHAM Philippines kicked off the year at the Makati Shangri-La for its first Monthly Members Meeting (MMM), centered on the theme: AI That Delivers: From Use Cases to Business Impact. The session brought together over 100 attendees for a focused discussion on how organizations can turn artificial intelligence into measurable business value.
Representing Monstarlab Philippines was Monna Liza Oliveros, Business Development and Sales Executive, who joined industry leaders in examining what meaningful AI adoption in the Philippines truly requires.
(L-R: Glenn Myers, Wolfgang Merkt, Winnie Rebancos)
So How Do Organizations Actually Make AI Deliver?
The discussion, co-presented by Info-Tech Research Group, moved past theory and addressed a practical question: how can AI initiatives create tangible operational outcomes?
Moderated by Glenn Myers, Executive Counselor at Info-Tech Research Group, the panel featured Winnie Rebancos, Chief Information Officer of Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines, and Wolfgang Merkt, Chief Technology Officer of Aboitiz Group.
Start with Practical, High-Impact Use Cases
Winnie Rebancos shared how organizations can build credibility by starting with focused, high-impact use cases. Examples include virtual assistants and recruitment bots that automate repetitive tasks while freeing teams to focus on more strategic work.
The lesson was straightforward: early wins matter. When AI solutions clearly improve efficiency or accuracy, internal confidence grows. However, she emphasized that strong data governance is non-negotiable. Without clean, structured, and accessible data, even the most promising AI tools struggle to deliver consistent results.
Align AI with Clear Business Value
Wolfgang Merkt reinforced the importance of linking AI initiatives directly to business objectives. AI should not exist as a side experiment. It must support measurable goals such as productivity improvement, cost optimization, or service enhancement.
He highlighted three essential foundations:
- Modern, adaptable systems
- Strong data infrastructure
- The discipline to test, learn, and scale
This mindset separates hype from impact. Organizations that succeed in AI adoption treat it as a long-term capability, not a short-term experiment.
The closing sentiment resonated strongly across the room: Fail first. Learn. Succeed.
Australian-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce Philippines (ANZCHAM) at Makati Shangri-La
The Current Landscape of AI Adoption in the Philippines
The conversation at ANZCHAM reflects a broader national trend. AI adoption in the Philippines is accelerating, but many organizations remain in the early stages of implementation.
Recent research from Amazon Web Services (AWS) indicates that over 250,000 businesses in the Philippines have adopted some form of AI technology, demonstrating strong momentum across sectors¹. However, the majority are using AI primarily for efficiency-driven applications rather than deep business model transformation².
This aligns with what many enterprises are experiencing: a shift from experimentation toward operationalization. Instead of testing AI in isolated pilots, organizations are now prioritizing implementation that drives measurable results.
Common high-impact use cases in the Philippine market include:
- Automating document-heavy workflows
- Deploying AI-powered chat interfaces for customer or internal support
- Enhancing recruitment screening processes
- Supporting decision-making through intelligent data processing
At the same time, studies highlight ongoing challenges such as digital skills gaps and data readiness issues, which can slow down large-scale AI integration³. This reinforces the message shared at ANZCHAM: strong data foundations and disciplined execution are critical for sustainable success.
Rather than pursuing AI for novelty, leaders in the Philippines are increasingly focused on initiatives that deliver measurable impact and can scale responsibly.
From Use Cases to Business Impact
The ANZCHAM event made one thing clear: AI adoption in the Philippines is entering a more disciplined phase. Success depends on clear objectives, strong data foundations, and the willingness to iterate.
For organizations exploring AI initiatives, the path forward is practical:
- Start with a focused use case.
- Validate through a proof of concept.
- Scale with the right technical partner.
If your organization is considering software development or evaluating AI POC services, Monstarlab Philippines can support you from concept validation to scalable offshore development.
Connect with Monstarlab Philippines to explore how an AI proof of concept can turn your use case into measurable business impact.
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Endnotes:
[1] Amazon Web Services (AWS), research on AI adoption momentum in the Philippines, reporting over 250,000 Filipino businesses using AI technologies.
[2] AWS research findings on early-stage AI usage focused primarily on efficiency and operational improvements rather than full transformation.
[3] AWS research highlighting digital skills gaps and data readiness challenges affecting AI scaling efforts in the Philippines.