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PH IT sector grows in 2022, DICT vows to sustain momentum

By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz

March 4, 2023, 9:21 am

MANILA – The country’s information technology (IT) and business process management (BPM) sector has reported a strong performance in 2022 through the addition of thousands of jobs and a jump in the sector’s revenues.

In a statement Friday, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said the number of full-time employees in the IT-BPM sector grew by 8.4 percent, or 121,000 full-time employees (FTE), to 1.57 million FTEs in 2022.

The sector’s revenues, on the other hand, increased to USD32.5 billion in 2022, surpassing 2021 earnings of USD29.5 billion.

During the annual meeting of the Information Technology and Business Processing Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) on Monday, its president and CEO Jack Madrid said the sector aims to generate 1.1 million additional jobs and double the IT-BPM sector’s revenue by 2028.

“That’s the only way that we can hope to achieve our goal of building the industry to a 2.5 million-strong workforce, and generating USD59 billion in revenues for the country,” Madrid said.

By 2023, the IBPAP sees the IT-BPM industry to have grown to about 1.7 million FTEs and revenues to USD35.9 billion.

During the event, DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy outlined his plans to support the growth of the IT-BPM sector through training and professional development initiatives, such as the DICT’s digitaljobsPH and the IT-BPM scaled upskilling programs.

He introduced the Philippine skills framework that would allow the DICT to design courses and training programs “aligned to the skills and competencies” identified by the IT-BPM industries.

“Through this project, we aim to help our local talents improve their qualifications and increase their employability,” Uy said.

To further strengthen the Philippines’ stance as the top investment destination for global services, he also announced the “Leveraging the IT-BPM Industry and Fostering Local Talents (LIFT)” program.

He said the program aims to promote careers in the IT-BPM industry and showcase Filipino talent to create jobs and sustain the country’s position as a leading provider of global outsourced services.

“To strengthen the Philippines’ stance as the top investment destination for global services in the world, we need to continue building the ICT landscape in the countryside,” Uy said.

The DICT, he said, is also working with the IBPAP and the Leechiu Property Consultants through the “Digital Cities 2025” program, which aims to expand the IT-BPM industry and “ensure decent work and economic growth,” especially in the countryside. (PNA)

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