30 March 2026, Seoul – The Philippine Embassy in Seoul hosted a roundtable on cyber diplomacy, gender-inclusive artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity on 30 March 2026, bringing together female Heads of Mission in the Republic of Korea, diplomats, and invited stakeholders from government, academe, business, and civil society. The roundtable served as a platform for discussing cybersecurity, digital governance, artificial intelligence, and the continuing need to narrow the gender gap in the digital sphere. 

The event likewise marked the inaugural visit of Personal Information Protection Commission Chairperson Song Kyung-hee to the Philippine Embassy, and the Embassy’s first roundtable convening a diplomatic dialogue on gender-inclusive AI, cybersecurity, and digital governance. 

In her remarks, Ambassador Bernadette Therese Fernandez emphasized that as societies navigate AI stewardship, data protection, and digital trust, innovation must remain human-centered, accountable, and secure. As the Philippines is the ASEAN Chair for 2026, Ambassador Fernandez also highlighted its goals for the region’s digital transition to be secure, resilient, and inclusive. She added that recent adjustments in ASEAN preparatory processes, including the migration of around 650 meetings to virtual format underscore the growing significance of AI, data governance, privacy, and cyber resilience to the practice of diplomacy and regional cooperation. 

Chairperson Song shared the ROK vision for a trust-based AI ecosystem anchored in responsible data use, stronger protections for individuals, and international cooperation in privacy and personal information governance. The Chairperson’s roundtable participation highlighted ROK’s evolving approach to personal information protection as a matter that extends not only to its citizens, but also to the wider foreign community living and working in an increasingly digital society. Ambassador Tanel Sepp of Estonia contributed Estonia’s perspective on digital governance and cyber resilience. 

Through the roundtable, the Embassy affirmed the Philippines’ interest in a digital future that is secure, inclusive, and humane. The forum also gave concrete expression to the Philippine Commission on Women’s 2026 theme, “Lead Like the Babaylan,” by advancing a conversation that called not only for innovation and technical competence, but also for wisdom, care, and community-centered leadership in shaping the digital future. END