The Philippine IT-BPM sector is poised to grow this year to 1.97 million full-time employees from 1.89 million in 2025, and around USD42 billion in revenues, or USD2 billion higher than the USD40 billion posted in 2025, the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) said.
IBPAP President and CEO Jack Madrid said that alongside continued expansion, the focus is on how work evolves—and how digital Filipino workers can take on more complex, higher-value roles.
Thus, BPAP is actively shaping this pathway by aligning industry players, government partners, and educators around a clear objective: moving Filipino talent up the value chain as technology transforms how work is done.
“As the delivery of Gen AI-assisted CX and AI Operations is increasingly integrated into the workflows and business operations delivered, the opportunity becomes clearer,” said Madrid. “It allows us to prepare the Filipino people for more complex, higher-value work while continuing to grow the industry.”
To achieve the growth target, IBPAP stressed the need for sustained focus on skills development, access, and workforce readiness in the different sectors within the industry to deliver higher value tech work.
With that, IBPAP is implementing some initiatives this year. These include the Can You HackIT: The IBPAP Challenge, which seeks to identify digital capabilities across regions and if talents, outside of major urban centers, are ready to deliver higher value tech work.
Another initiative is called Byte the Gap, implemented with the Department of Education, focuses on strengthening the earliest stages of the talent pipeline by improving access to technology in public schools. This early exposure helps build foundational digital readiness long before students enter the workforce. To date, 1,641 PCs and laptops have been turned over, with around 500 additional units scheduled for distribution in the coming months.
For workers already in the industry, IBPAP cited the EBET and Project UNLAD, a PHP740-million program with DICT and TESDA to create pathways for reskilling and upskilling as roles evolve and demand higher-level digital capabilities.
These workforce-focused efforts are complemented by Labor Standards and Health initiatives, which support long-term participation by ensuring that workers are equipped, protected, and able to sustain more advanced forms of work.
Together, these efforts reflect a clear direction for the industry: strengthening skills, widening participation, and ensuring that growth is matched by the value of work delivered. As global conditions continue to shift, IBPAP remains focused on moving Filipino talent forward with the industry.
