Basic Bootcamp on Explainable AI for Public Policymaking: AI-Informed, Human- Directed Policymaking, July 14–18, 2025

Photo collage by: David Andrei Mendoza, NCPAG

The University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UP CIDS) Program on Data Science for Public Policy (DSPPP) conducted its first 2025 Basic Bootcamp on July 14–18, 2025. This capacity-building exercise, attended by sixteen (16) UP researchers and professors, along with forty-five (45) representatives from various government agencies, and assisted by twenty-one (21) student interns and staff, demonstrated the high demand for data science techniques and tools. This three- level series of bootcamps aims to equip participants with essential skills to navigate the complexities of utilizing AI in both governance and policymaking.

DSPPP Convenor Dr. Ebinezer Florano emphasized the growing need for transparency and accountability in AI-driven decision-making processes that inform public policy. Training Resource Person Prof. Jonathan Mamplata developed the modules for the three-level bootcamp series. The participants engaged in discussions and hands-on exercises on data preparation and visualization, including a crash course on Python basics, Google Looker Studio, and the use of Orange and KNIME as low-code/no-code tools for data visualization and machine learning.

The second batch of the basic bootcamp will be held on September 1–5, 2025; the intermediate bootcamp on September 22–26, 2025; and the advanced bootcamp on November 10–14, 2025.