BAGUIO CITY – The city government has started public consultations on the proposal of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to set up a P248-million Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics training center and innovation hub in the city.
The first public hearing was held on August 27, during which the Department of Education’s Baguio Schools Division Office and concerned barangays were asked to submit their position papers.
TESDA in its proposal said the project will boost its smart city program and equip residents with vital skills in an increasingly tech-driven world.
Daisy Bungallon, executive director of the Cordillera State Institute for Technology Education (CSITE) under the TESDA-Cordillera Administrative Region (TESDA-CAR), said on August 27 that they have sought the city government’s approval for the use of a 500-square-meter property adjacent to the CSITE’s main campus.
“We hope to get the city government’s nod for the use of a 500 square-meter land adjacent to the CSITE main campus, which was the approved site when the proposal was submitted,” she said in an interview.
She said the facility would need at least 2,500 square meters to house the training center, innovation hub, and spaces for equipment that would help commercialize innovations developed within the hub.
“We hope we are granted the space so that we can start construction and commence the AI and technology program,” Bungallon said.
She said talks with the city government have started, for the use of the land, which is currently an open area used by Quezon Elementary School pupils, and serves as an evacuation site for nearby barangays. (PNA)
