For Filipino high school students who love logic puzzles, math challenges, and the thrill of solving problems under pressure, a new kind of national tryout is now on the table—this time, in artificial intelligence.
Ateneo de Manila University’s Business Insights Laboratory for Development (Ateneo BUILD) has launched a nationwide search for the country’s first National AI Team, a four-member delegation that will represent the Philippines at the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) Global Finals in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from Aug. 2 to Aug. 8, 2026.
Students have until Jan. 25 to register for the National Eliminations through the official IOAI Philippines portal, www.ioaiph.org.
The competition is open to all high school students nationwide, Grades 7 to 12, whether they come from public, private, or science high schools.
Stage 1 National Eliminations will run from Jan. 31 to Feb. 8, followed by the semi-finals on Feb. 14 to Feb. 15, then the National Finals on Feb. 22 to Feb. 23.
After that, a Team Selection Bootcamp is scheduled for March 7 to 8, where finalists will receive more intensive preparation.
From there, participants move into more specialized territory, covering topics such as machine learning, AI ethics, and computer vision, with a dedicated training period set from April to June to help students sharpen the skills needed for the international stage.
Ateneo BUILD, which has been designated as the sole accredited Philippine Country Coordinator for the IOAI, will organize the selection process and mentor the final delegation.
