President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. declared the Philippines’ readiness to lead the next phase of the global digital economy through enhanced partnerships with Canada, identifying the Information Technology-Business Process Management (IT-BPM) sector as a core engine of mutual growth.
Delivering his keynote remarks during a high-level roundtable discussion with top IT-BPM executives at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver, President Marcos emphasized that the Philippines is actively open for business, fully prepared for strategic collaboration, and dedicated to generating long-term value through innovation, digital transformation, and sustainable development.
“As we continue to strengthen our economic ties, we look forward to working with our Canadian partners to transform opportunity into tangible investments, innovation, and shared progress,” President Marcos stated.
A pivotal catalyst for this shared digital future will be the upcoming announcement of the historic Philippine-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The President noted that this landmark pact marks a significant milestone, serving as the first-ever bilateral trade agreement the Philippines will forge with a North American partner.
The FTA is expected to establish a permanent, predictable framework that accelerates digital partnerships, drives robust bilateral trade, and fosters seamless economic cooperation.
President Marcos highlighted that the discussion with industry leaders underscored the exact qualities the IT-BPM sector requires to thrive: trust, adaptability, policy clarity, and decisiveness. He further recognized that the industry has evolved far beyond traditional back-office support, transforming into a primary driver of global productivity.
“Customer experience, analytics, cybersecurity, financial service support, healthcare information management, and digital operations are now central to how global enterprises compete and how they grow,” the President explained. “This transformation is already evident in our engagement with Canadian companies.”
Canadian firms already maintain a powerful footprint in the Philippine IT-BPM landscape, providing critical support across enterprise software, Software as a Service (SaaS), insurance, consulting, and next-generation digital operations.
The roundtable featured prominent participation from major industry players, including BlackBerry, CGI, Everise, Manulife, OpenText, NQX, Sun Life, Telus Corp., and InTouchCX, signaling strong momentum for expanded bilateral investment and innovation.
