As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes global industries, iPeople, Inc–the education ecosystem of the Yuchengco Group of Companies-Ayala Corporation partnership–is taking a monumental leap forward by setting an ambitious goal to cultivate 200,000 AI-fluent learners by 2029 across its entire network of schools.
Taking the lead in this initiative is the Mapúa Education Group (Mapúa), consisting of Mapúa University, Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna, Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao, and Mapuá Malayan Digital College. Building on the recent launch of its group-wide AI-Fluency Strategy, the ambitious mid-term goal aims to scale AI proficiency across the entire Mapúa education ecosystem—encompassing undergraduate and graduate students, short-course participants, and working professionals seeking upskilling.
“The 2029 target reflects Mapúa’s commitment to driving meaningful scale. This timeframe gives us the structured runway needed for comprehensive curriculum redesign, faculty development, microcredentialing, and workforce-aligned industry partnerships,” said Dr. Marloun Sejera, Head of Mapúa University’s Office for Artificial Intelligence Curriculum Integration.
“Our goal is not simply to teach software tools, but to cultivate long-term human-AI collaboration across evolving careers,” Sejera added.
Addressing National Skills Gap and Youth Vulnerabilities
Mapúa’s aggressive timeline comes as a direct response to growing labor market disruptions highlighted by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and the International Labor Organization (ILO).
Recent ILO findings warn that young Filipino workers remain particularly vulnerable to AI-driven shift dynamics due to limited work experience and a pressing need for advanced digital capabilities. By embedding functional, ethical, and discipline-specific AI skills into higher education, Mapúa aims to close the national digital skills gap and ensure graduates secure high-value, long-term employment.
Under Mapúa’s framework, AI fluency goes beyond basic digital literacy. It defines an AI-fluent learner as someone who can critically, ethically, and productively leverage frontier tools—evaluating outputs for bias or hallucination, safeguarding data privacy, and applying human judgment to solve complex problems. Its program pathways are structured between four tiers, including foundational AI literacy, specialized field application, AI-enabled applied problem solving, and advanced AI and research pathways.
To power this ecosystem-wide integration, the Mapúa Education Group has secured strategic partnerships with global tech leaders, including OpenAI and enterprise computational intelligence platform Altair, and of course, a comprehensive partnership with Arizona State University–the #1 school in the United States for innovation.
Over the next three years, Mapúa will roll out curriculum redesign, embedding AI applications across engineering, computing, business, health, and design syllabus; stackable microcredentials, offering short courses and professional certificates for lifelong learners and active industry workers; and AI teaching commons, providing faculty with AI-ready rubrics, ethical guidelines, and teaching support.
A Multiplier Effect for National Development
Beyond institutional growth, Mapúa and ultimately iPeople projects that deploying 200,000 AI-fluent individuals into the economy will trigger a powerful multiplier effect across local enterprises, research facilities, and public sector organizations.
For students and parents investing in higher education, the initiative provides a clear assurance: a Mapúa degree is designed to remain relevant and resilient in the age of automation.
“By equipping learners with real-world AI capabilities alongside strong human oversight, we are supplying Philippine industries with the future-ready talent needed to compete globally,” Sejera concluded.
To learn more about Mapúa’s AI-Fluency strategy and its various academic offerings, visit the Mapúa website.
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