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Louella Desiderio - The Philippine Star
March 13, 2025 | 12:00am
In a statement, the IBPAP said there is a need to navigate changes in global policies that may affect the industry.
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MANILA, Philippines — The Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) is stepping up efforts to promote the country as a global leader for high-value services amid a push to bring back production operations and jobs in the United States.
In a statement, the IBPAP said there is a need to navigate changes in global policies that may affect the industry.
The IBPAP is closely watching developments in the US, with 70 percent of the industry’s client base originating from that country and the renewed protectionist policies under the Trump administration bringing both challenges and opportunities.
“A push for reshoring and nearshoring could impact the Philippines, making it imperative for IBPAP to double down repositioning the country as a global leader in high-value services such as banking, financial services, healthcare and digital transformation,” the IBPAP said.
It said offshoring slowed under the first Trump administration, with industry growth dipping to 2.5 percent in 2017 and to 3.9 percent in 2018 from 12.3 percent in 2016.
IBPAP president and CEO Jack Madrid said the group is set to conduct a review of its roadmap, which sets the industry’s revenue and employment targets.
“Since the inception of Roadmap 2022, we had already planned to conduct a midterm review by 2025. As it happens, the timing of the Trump 2.0 onboarding coincides with this scheduled review,” Madrid said.
Under the roadmap, the IT-business process management (BPM) industry has set an aggressive target of generating $59 billion in revenue and employing 2.5 million by 2028.
Last year, the industry generated $38 billion in revenue, seven percent higher than the $35.5 billion in 2023. In terms of headcount, the IT-BPM industry employed 1.82 million, up by seven percent from 1.7 million.
Madrid said a strong leadership would be crucial for a resilient IT-BPM industry.
“Governance starts at the top. A diverse board is not just about representation – it is about resilience. The more perspectives we have in scanning the horizon, the better prepared we are for opportunities and challenges,” he said.
“What got us to $38 billion in revenue and 1.82 million jobs may not get us to where we want to be. We must adapt, innovate and lead the next chapter of our industry’s success,” Madrid said.
