{"article":{"id":43,"title":"IBPAP Unveils 2028 Outlook as Industry Shifts from Capacity to Capability","content":"<p><strong>TAGUIG, Philippines, July 14, 2026<\/strong> \u2014 The IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) has unveiled its 2028 industry outlook, affirming that the industry\u2019s next phase of growth will be driven less by workforce scale and increasingly by higher-value capabilities and AI-enabled talent.<\/p><p>Amid a rapidly changing global business environment, shaped by the accelerated adoption of AI and evolving client needs, the Philippine IT-BPM industry enters a decisive period. IBPAP projects the industry to reach between US$43.3 billion and US$50.5 billion in revenue and between 1.85 million and 2.14 million full-time employees (FTEs) by 2028.<\/p><p>Reaching the upper end of the projected range will require deliberate action in talent development, targeted expansion into higher-value segments, and sustained collaboration across industry, government, and academe. Without these, the industry will be unable to maintain its growth momentum.<\/p><p>\u201cFor years, our industry has measured success by how many people we could employ. The next chapter will increasingly be defined by the value every Digital Filipino Worker (DFW) creates. That is the shift from capacity to capability,\u201d said Jack Madrid, President and CEO of IBPAP.<\/p><p>\u201cThis outlook is ambitious, but achievable,\u201d Madrid added. \u201cSuccess will depend on how quickly we invest in talent, embrace AI responsibly, and deepen collaboration between industry, government, and academe.\u201d<\/p><p>To achieve these targets, the industry is placing talent transformation at the center of its strategy. At the heart of this is the AI-Enabled DFW, combining AI fluency, deep domain expertise, and distinctly human capabilities such as judgement, critical thinking, empathy, and leadership. As the sector shifts toward higher-value work, revenue per DFW will increasingly become an important measure of competitiveness.<\/p><p>This transformation builds years of sustained industry investment in upskilling, now expanded through initiatives including Project UNLAD with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the AI Tech Academy in Cebu with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), and Byte The Gap with the Department of Education (DepEd). These programs, offered at no cost to employees through the support of industry and government partners, equip Filipino professionals with the capabilities needed to thrive in an AI-enabled workplace.<\/p><p>Complementing these workforce initiatives is continued growth across higher-value service segments. Global capability centers (GCCs), healthcare, banking and financial services, and emerging markets are expected to drive the industry's continued expansion through 2028.<\/p><p>As demand for AI-enabled and specialized services grows, the Philippines continues to win higher-value work in analytics, engineering, finance, healthcare information management, and digital services, reinforcing the country's position as a trusted destination for complex, knowledge-intensive work.<\/p><p>\"Growth of this scale requires an ecosystem that enables innovation, investment, and talent development. We will continue working closely with government, academe, and industry partners to create an environment where businesses can invest with confidence and Filipino talent can thrive in the global digital economy,\" said Celeste Ilagan, Chief Operating Officer of IBPAP.<\/p><p>As the industry pivots from capacity to capability, the 2028 industry outlook sets the direction for the next phase of Philippine IT-BPM growth, one defined by higher-value work, AI-enabled talent, and a stronger position in the global digital economy.<\/p>","source_link":null,"button_text":null,"published_at":"2026-07-13T16:00:00.000000Z","category":{"id":1,"name":"Press Releases"},"banner":{"url":"https:\/\/admin.ibpap.org\/storage\/articles\/2z0E1F1A7iqQQ089yPOgE9xctNI0jPFuk8BZQlj0.png"}}}