Tinglayan embraces AI to speed up services, boost local innovations

TINGLAYAN, Kalinga — The Municipality of Tinglayan is taking steps toward more technology-driven governance after completing a four-day course on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Local Government Units (LGUs) conducted by the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) in Pasig City.

Municipal Administrator Atty. Mark Dave Bang-as represented Tinglayan in the training, held from September 15 to 18, 2026, as the LGU explores ways to use AI and other digital tools to accelerate public services and support innovation in the municipality.

Bang-as said he was sent by Mayor Charles Abay to participate in the course, which aligns with the municipality's goal of improving service delivery through responsible use of emerging technologies.

He said Tinglayan recognizes that government is operating in an increasingly digital environment and is preparing to embrace technology wisely and responsibly.

“This is part of our aim of continuous pursuit to innovate LGU governance and to further improve the delivery of services to our constituents in Tinglayan,” Bang-as said.

He described the training as fruitful and expressed appreciation for Tinglayan being among the 10 LGUs selected to participate, with a total of 22 department heads, key functionaries and technical staff taking part in the batch.

Bang-as said the training provided the LGU with an opportunity to understand how AI and emerging technologies can be integrated into local governance to make services more responsive and innovative.

From AI lessons to actual LGU solutions

The DAP course, conducted through its Center for Governance–Local Governance and Development Office (CFG-LGDO), was designed to help local government officials translate emerging digital tools into practical workplace solutions.

Rather than focusing only on theoretical concepts, participants were challenged to identify actual administrative bottlenecks in their respective offices and develop an “LGU AI-Powered Proof-of-Concept”—a functional digital prototype designed to address a specific workplace problem.

The prototypes were developed using no-code platforms and Vibe Coding, with participants also undergoing workflow analysis, prompt engineering and technical testing.

The course is part of DAP's continuing efforts to help local governments build capacity for digital transformation and innovation in public service.

About DAP

The Development Academy of the Philippines is a government-owned and controlled corporation established in 1973 under Presidential Decree No. 205. It later became an attached agency of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) under Executive Order No. 45 in 2023. DAP serves as the country's National Productivity Organization and provides training, research and technical assistance aimed at strengthening public-sector productivity, leadership and governance.

DAP has also been conducting AI capability-building programs for LGUs. Its first 2026 AI course brought together 41 department heads, key functionaries and technical staff from 13 LGUs, with participants developing AI-powered prototypes for local administrative challenges.

For Tinglayan, Bang-as said the training represents another step toward using technology not simply as a modern tool, but as a means of improving how the municipality serves its constituents.