Pres. Aquino lauds continued growth of IT-BPM industry

President Benigno S. Aquino III on Tuesday lauded the information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry in the Philippines for its continuing success.

In his speech during the 7th annual International IT-BMP Summit held in Pasay City, President Aquino acknowledged the industry’s significant contribution to the country’s economy and to Filipinos, calling it a “microcosm” of the administration’s inclusive growth agenda.

The President cited the growth of the industry’s revenue from $8.9 billion in 2010 to $18.9 billion in 2014, while its employment increased from 520,000 employees in 2010 to 1.07 million in 2014.

“Right now, because of you, more than a million Filipinos are assured of stable incomes to help them pay the rent and the bills, put food on the tables, send their younger siblings or their children to school, and even make monthly payments on their new cars and condominiums,” he said.

President Aquino also noted that for every job the IT-BPM creates, an additional 2.5 indirect jobs are generated in support services -- from restaurants and convenience stores, to public transportation and housing.

On top of the 300,000 the industry has already employed, the President said IT-BPM has also given livelihoods to an additional 750,000 Filipinos outside Metro Manila.

“Indeed: The IT-BPM industry is a microcosm of our administration’s inclusive growth agenda -- where jobs are created all around the country; where our people’s salaries go far beyond day-to-day subsistence, and instead redound to opportunities to better their situations both now and in the future,” he said.

“We want to replicate this kind of success in each and every sector, and in the entire economy. In this endeavor, as with all others, it is our single most important resource, the Filipino people, who will propel us to greater heights,” he added.

President Aquino also reported that the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) and the government, together with its stakeholders, are already working together to help the sector continue to grow.

He cited the Service Management Program (SMP) designed to cultivate the skills needed for employment, adding that the UP Open University and IBPAP have also worked together to convert SMP courseware into an online format, which has so far benefited 1,200 enrollees.

The President also noted the collaboration between the IBPAP and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), under the Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP), to train graduates seeking employment in their companies.

As of August this year, President Aquino said the government funding for the Training for Work Scholarship Program of the IT-BPM sector has reached P1.61 billion, which has benefited more than 200,000 Filipinos.

“The expertise you possess will help us to maintain and perhaps even widen our lead in voice BPM. At the same time, there are plenty of opportunities for us to move up the value chain, and provide even more specialized services,” he said.

The President said various associations in the IT-BPM industry have also partnered with TESDA to implement training programs in animation and game development, offered in different areas in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The Chief Executive also mentioned that the government has been working to develop cities outside Metro Manila that could play host to IT-BPM operations.

“Forty-two cities and areas are on our priority list now, and roadshows to promote the industry were completed in Capiz and Pangasinan this year, with the last stop being General Santos in a matter of a month’s time,” he said.

“We have done so much together. Thank you for partnering with us, not only to maintain our industry lead, but also to enter other avenues and offer more specialized services,” he further said.

In his speech, President Aquino also credited former interior secretary Manuel Roxas II for the growth of the country’s IT-BPM sector.

Roxas also served as secretary of trade and industry in 2000.

“In the middle of the Asian Financial Crisis, he scrutinized what seemed like a grim economic landscape and saw potential in the union of our countrymen’s talents and your sector,” the President said.

“He reached out to industry leaders, and through the ‘Make IT Philippines’ strategy, aggressively marketed the Philippines as a destination for investments in this sector,” he added. (PCOO News Release)