First IT-BPM Career and Job Fair on April 27

CEBU, Philippines — The Philippine IT-BPM Industry Roadmap 2028, the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), announced the opening of the first IT-BPM Career and Job Fair on April 27, 2023.

Together with IBPAP stakeholders, the industry is serious about achieving the 1.1 million additional new jobs for Filipinos that will bring in at least $59 billion in the next six years.

The job fair provides an avenue for students, fresh graduates, and job seekers will get a chance to learn from IT-BPM practitioners and professionals; enhance their knowledge of the dynamic sector and the evolving talent landscape; gain access to IBPAP’s expansive network of member

organizations; as well as pursue opportunities with like-minded companies and individuals.

The event will be held virtually at https://itbpm.talenthub.ph/ and will feature job postings, exhibitor booths, learning sessions, and many more.

Through the platform, participants will be able to (1) set up a profile and upload their resumes, (2) request a real-time chat with potential employers using text, audio, or video, and (3) watch how-to videos that could give them a leg up in their job search.

IBPAP is composed of over 350 members and six partner associations such as the Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc. (ACPI), Global In-House Center Council (GICC) Philippines, Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP), Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP), Healthcare Information Management Association of the Philippines (HIMAP), and the Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA).

It plays a pivotal role in sustaining the growth of the IT-BPM industry by working with stakeholders in the government and academe to ensure an enduring supply of high-quality labor, support service innovation, and provide country visibility.

IBPAP record showed that the number of full-time BPO employees (FTEs) in the country grew 8.4 percent or by 121,000 in 2022, bringing the industry’s total headcount to 1.57 million. The sector also recorded a growth of 10.3 percent in revenues to reach $32.5 billion in 2022.

“We’re working on Roadmap 2028 with purpose and momentum. 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 $59 billion in revenues for the country,” stated Jack Madrid, IBPAP President, and CEO. “We still have a long way to go, but Philippine IT-BPM’s stellar performance in 2022 brings us closer to generating 1.1 million new jobs for Filipinos. It’s also a testament to the collective efforts that the private sector, government, and academe have exerted to retain the industry as an indispensable pillar of the economy.”

IBPAP noted that the boost in headcount and revenue may be attributed to growth in Banking, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI), Healthcare, Retail, Technology, and Telecommunications.

Based on the latest data from Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC), IT-BPM accounted for 466,000 sqm. of office real estate take-up, which is 48 percent of the total demand for office space nationwide. This represents an 81 percent growth from the 257,000 sqm. that the IT-BPM industry took up in 2021.

There were also significant expansions in the countryside, particularly in Cebu, Davao, Bacolod, Pampanga, and Laguna. In fact, over 70,000 new jobs were created in locations outside Metro Manila—a 17 percent increase from the previous year. By the end of 2022, 31 percent of the sector’s total headcount, or 486,000 FTEs were in the countryside.

A survey carried out by IBPAP showed that 83 percent of IT-BPM companies are expecting to post growth in 2023 despite a potential global recession, while 17 percent remained neutral with their forecasts.

Results also showed that organizations will continue to outsource and use global business services this year as a lever to drive some of their cost optimization initiatives.