The increasing integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into education has transformed teaching and learning by offering innovative opportunities to support instruction, enrich learning experiences, and enhance academic productivity. As future educators are expected to integrate these technologies into professional practice, understanding their acceptance of GenAI has become critical. This need is particularly salient in the Philippines, where teacher preparation is deeply shaped by values of equity, communal responsibility (kapwa), trust, and respect for human agency within resource-constrained and culturally diverse contexts. Drawing on this axiological lens, this study examined the level of GenAI acceptance among pre-service teachers and investigated gender differences in acceptance.  A quantitative, comparative, cross-sectional research design was employed involving 350 pre-service teachers enrolled at a state university in the Zamboanga Peninsula, Philippines. Participants were selected using stratified random sampling and completed the Acceptance of Artificial Intelligence Scale. Descriptive statistics and independent-samples t-tests were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed a high level of GenAI acceptance among pre-service teachers (M = 3.55, SD = 0.65). A statistically significant gender difference was observed, with male pre-service teachers reporting significantly higher GenAI acceptance (M = 3.81, SD = 0.62) than female pre-service teachers (M = 3.40, SD = 0.62), t(348) = 5.96, p < .001, d = 0.66, when male is compared to female. The direction of the difference indicates higher acceptance among male students.  These findings suggest that while pre-service teachers generally exhibit favorable acceptance of GenAI, meaningful gender differences persist. Framed through values of equity, responsibility, trust, and human agency, the study underscores the need for teacher education institutions in the Philippines to promote inclusive, ethically grounded, and pedagogically meaningful integration of GenAI. This includes strengthening AI-related training, fostering critical trust and responsible use, safeguarding teacher autonomy and professional judgment, and designing gender-responsive interventions that ensure equitable access and participation. The study contributes empirical evidence from a Global South context and advances interdisciplinary dialogue on the cultural and axiological dimensions of AI in teacher education..