IOAI Philippines 2027 Opens: Free AI Training for K to 12 Students

IOAI Philippines 2027 is now accepting applicants, and the free national selection closes on November 11, 2026. Hosted by Ateneo BUILD, the Business Insights Laboratory for Development of the Ateneo de Manila University John Gokongwei School of Management, the program trains Filipino students in artificial intelligence before fielding the country’s team at the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence. Registration is free at ioaiph.org.

Eligibility has widened this year. Instead of Grades 7 to 12, the 2027 cycle is open to Filipino students from Kindergarten to Grade 12, whether they study in the Philippines or abroad, as long as they were born on or after July 1, 2007. Ateneo BUILD says long-term foreign residents may also qualify, subject to residency and schooling requirements.

What the IOAI Philippines 2027 selection offers

The first round needs no programming experience and no personal computer. Students take the assessment online from November 16 to 22, 2026, at any time inside that window, using a phone. It combines IOAI EduSpace Round 1 with a national multiple-choice test, while coding tasks only begin in the later stages.

The top 300 participants advance to the qualifiers, then the quarterfinals and semifinals. A two-day national final follows at Ateneo BUILD on February 20 and 21, 2027. Overseas Filipino students can compete online through the semifinals.

Ateneo BUILD says students from more than 80 public, private, science, and international schools have already registered for this cycle.

How the national selection works

Entry is free, but the easy part ends with the first round. The full route runs from a phone-based screening in November, through proctored online stages in December and January, to a two-day onsite final in February. Only four students make the Singapore team, and the country competes as a single entry.

The study load grows with each stage. Later rounds follow the IOAI syllabus, covering machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, computer vision, audio, and AI ethics, with coding tasks replacing the multiple-choice format.

From Astana medals to Singapore and Russia

The 2027 search follows the Philippines’ first appearance at IOAI in 2026, where all four delegates won medals in Astana, Kazakhstan, taking one silver and three bronze against 466 contestants from 108 countries and territories. Earlier that year, an eight-member Philippine delegation won one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals at the inaugural Asia-Pacific Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence, finishing sixth among 18 countries and territories.

“Last season showed that Filipino students can stand with the best in the world in AI,” said Martin Gomez, Executive Director and Team Leader of IOAI PH.

The top four finalists will represent the Philippines at IOAI 2027 in Singapore from July 4 to 10, hosted jointly by Nanyang Technological University and AI Singapore. The top four non-graduating students will compete at APOAI 2027 in Russia from April 26 to 30.

Achievements in AI olympiads can also help with university applications. Ateneo BUILD notes that institutions including Nanyang Technological University and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence consider IOAI results in their undergraduate admissions, subject to their own requirements.

Registration details, eligibility rules, and the full competition calendar are at ioaiph.org.