On September 23, 2025, I had the privilege of attending the International IT-BPM Summit held at Okada Manila, a landmark gathering of industry leaders, government officials, academia, and global partners. The summit opened with a striking moment: Jack Madrid, President & CEO of the IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), was introduced by an AI-generated avatar—his image digitally rendered on screen as he walked onto the stage. It was a fitting start to a summit themed “Rewired for Value: The Global Wake-Up Call.”
A Call to Urgency and Transformation
Jack Madrid’s keynote framed the theme not as a warning, but as an invitation—to sharpen competitive edge, deepen partnerships, and move with urgency in a rapidly evolving global landscape. His message was clear: what brought the industry this far will not be enough to take it forward.
He highlighted global disruptions reshaping the IT-BPM sector: next-gen agents, geopolitical shifts, rising costs, and changing customer expectations. These challenges are not unique to the Philippines—they are global. Yet, the Philippine IT-BPM industry continues to thrive.
Since the launch of Roadmap 2028 in 2022, the industry has created 450,000 new jobs and added $10.5 billion in revenue. In 2025 alone, it generated 80,000 jobs and $2 billion, outpacing global growth rates. By 2026, projections point to $42 billion in revenue and nearly 2 million jobs. Today, the industry contributes over 8% of the country’s GDP, underscoring its vital role in national development.
AI: Augmentation, Not Apocalypse
While 95% of enterprise AI pilots fail, Madrid emphasized that the issue often lies in poor process understanding—not weak technology. This is where the Philippines excels: deep process expertise, cultural empathy, and trusted human interaction.
To move forward, companies must prioritize:
- Data readiness
- Talent upskilling with measurable KPIs
Jack urged the industry to view AI not as a threat or a cure-all, but as a tool for augmentation, especially in a people-driven sector like IT-BPM.
Building a National AI Strategy
Only 12% of Philippine firms report high AI maturity. Nearly half are in the middle stages, and 40% are still experimenting. By 2028, 70% expect to reach high maturity. The winners will be those who integrate AI with human-centric design while closing skill gaps in cloud, cybersecurity, and automation.
To support this transformation, IBPAP is advocating for a National AI Strategy anchored on three pillars:
- Building AI and digital skills at scale
- Establishing governance and trust frameworks (accuracy, privacy, ethics)
- Enabling industry-wide transformation through process rewiring—not just tool adoption
GCCs: The Next Growth Engine
Global Capability Centers (GCCs) are projected to grow from $100 billion in 2024 to $155 billion by 2027, creating 4 million jobs. The Philippines, already the #2 global GCC hub, has the talent, scale, cost efficiency, and maturity to expand further.
Madrid emphasized that GCCs and traditional outsourcing are complementary, not competitive. The Philippines can remain a world-class outsourcing hub while rising as a strategic GCC hub for innovation and transformation.
The Philippine IT-BPM Playbook: Six Decisive Actions
To seize future opportunities, Madrid outlined six strategic imperatives:
- Public-private-academia collaboration – Align policy, talent, and markets.
- Agile policies & regional hubs – Promote national integration beyond Metro Manila.
- Move up the value chain – Shift from execution to co-creation and global influence.
- Scale GCC footprint – Evolve from cost efficiency to creativity and decision-making.
- Future-ready talent – Upskill in digital fluency, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
- Human + Technology balance – Emphasize empathy, ingenuity, and trust as differentiators.
Rethinking Metrics for Success
Traditional metrics like jobs and revenue are no longer sufficient. The industry must now measure:
- Capability building (digital fluency, global integration, innovation)
This shift will position the Philippine IT-BPM sector not just as a provider of scale, but as a global leader in value creation and innovation.
A National Project
The keynote concluded with a powerful call to action:
- Industry leaders: Accelerate workforce transformation and AI adoption.
- Academia: Reimagine education for future skills.
- Investors: View the Philippines as a strategic partner for innovation.
- Government: Build policies, infrastructure, and incentives for future-ready industries.
The future of IT-BPM is not just an industry agenda—it is a national project. The Philippines must rewire for value and cement its position at the heart of global services.
