The IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines and the Department of Trade and Industry on Wednesday signed a statement of commitment to implement a five-year national development program for the IT-BPM Industry.
Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said strengthening the country’s IT-BPM sector requires a multi-stakeholder partnership with the government, the academe and the industry.
“The signing of the statement of commitment serves as a testament to the Philippine government’s unwavering support and dedication to the growth and expansion of the IT-BPM industry. With the concerted efforts of all of us here and other stakeholders, we can develop a skilled, globally competitive workforce that will propel our IT-BPM industry to greater heights,” he said.
Anchored on the Philippine Development Plan 2023 to 2028, the statement of commitment outlines specific activities under four key areas of focus—talent development through upskilling and reskilling of potential and existing workforce, marketing and promotion, talent hub and policy and regulatory support.
The collaboration also designates which of the involved parties is responsible for certain initiatives and programs to ensure that goals are met within the set timeline.
Under the Philippine IT-BPM Industry Roadmap 2028, the industry is well-positioned to become a $59-billion sector, with 2.5 million full-time employees and an 8.9-percent contribution to the gross domestic product.
“Our goal to create 1.1 million jobs is not going to be easy, and it will necessitate the coordinated efforts of a multi-stakeholder coalition across the next six years,” said IBPAP president and chief executive Jack Madrid.
“This is non-negotiable. We can’t delay any longer on getting a scalable, strategic and sustainable talent attraction and development program off the ground if we want to see and feel its positive impact on the sector and the competitiveness and employability of Filipinos by 2028,” he said.
IBPAP, the DTI and the Board of Investments organized the IT-BPM Talent Summit to convene and mobilize the sector, government and academe to help the Philippine IT-BPM industry address talent challenges, institute educational reforms and career advocacy, among others.