FOR years, the United States (US) has been the Philippine information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry’s biggest market. Now, the industry is looking farther afield.
The Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) is broadening its investment push, with Europe, Japan, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific among the markets it wants to tap.
The country remains second only to India among the world’s largest IT-BPM destinations, but its lead is no longer uncontested. IBPAP previously said South Africa, Egypt, Poland, Colombia, Costa Rica and Vietnam are expanding their presence in the global outsourcing market.
Now, IBPAP, together with a coalition of advisory firms, real-estate developers, banking partners and investment-promotion agencies, has launched a coordinated initiative to attract global companies looking to establish or expand operations in the Philippines.
The initiative targets companies headquartered in Australia, Japan, the Middle East and the United Kingdom, as well as fast-growing mid-market firms and organizations in banking, financial services, insurance and healthcare.
Healthcare is among the areas where the industry sees room to expand, particularly in clinical support, revenue cycle management, health technology and patient services.
The industry is likewise looking to deepen its role in artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled services across customer experience, healthcare, information technology, finance and accounting, and human resources, helping global companies adopt AI, strengthen cybersecurity and scale their operations.
The broader investment push comes as the local IT-BPM sector also keeps an eye on policy developments in its largest market.
Last July, Celeste Ilagan, IBPAP chief operating officer and incoming president and chief executive officer (CEO), said the industry does not expect an immediate disruption from proposed US measures that could discourage companies from moving customer-service operations offshore.
The proposed Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025 and the HIRE Act have shown limited legislative progress, she said, although the industry is not dismissing their potential impact on Philippine outsourcing.
For IBPAP, the response is not to turn away from the US but to build a wider base of markets and capabilities.
‘The conversation has changed. Companies no longer choose locations based solely on cost. They choose places that can deliver resilience, capability, and depth of talent,’ IBPAP President and CEO Jack Madrid said.
‘That is where the Philippines competes today. We invite global companies ready to build their next chapter to build it with us,’ he added.
The industry aims to reach between $43.3 billion and $50.5 billion in annual revenue and employ 1.85 million to 2.14 million workers by 2028.