26 May 2021 – IT-BPM industry expects as much as 6.5% growth in 2021

By JON VIKTOR D. CABUENAS,GMA News, 26 May 2021

The information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry in the Philippines expects to grow by as much as 6.5% this year, as most firms plan to expand operations.

According to IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) president and chief executive officer Rey Untal, the sector projects growth of 5% to 6.5% in 2021, but did not elaborate in terms of what.

“Sa mga nakakausap ko pong mga country heads, marami sa kanila ang nagsasabi na maraming demands na mina-manage ngayon sa kasalukuyan, at malaking indikasyon ‘yan sa pagiging masigla ng ating industriya,” he said during the Laging Handa virtual briefing.

(I’ve been talking to country heads and they are saying that they are managing a lot of demands and that is an indication of a healthy industry.)

Based on a survey of firms in the Philippines, 87% said they expect to expand their operations anywhere between 5% to 15%.

Untal said the remaining 13% that did not indicate any plans of expansion were the smaller firms.

The IT-BPM industry posted a slight growth in 2020, after adding 23,000 new workers to its headcount to bring the total up 1.8% to 1.32 million. Revenue likewise rose 1.4% to $26.7 billion.

“Napakalaking bagay po niyan dahil iilan lang po siguro ‘yung mga industriyang lumago noong panahon ng pandemya at labis naming ikinatutuwa na kasama kami sa iilang industriya na lumago,” said Untal.

(This is a big deal as only a few industries recorded growth during the pandemic. We are happy to be among those few industries.)

So far, the industry has secured some 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from AstraZeneca and Moderna to be inoculated to some 500,000 workers, on top of negotiations for more doses moving forward.

Employees of the sector have also been classified under the A4 priority of the government in its vaccination program, the next in line for the vaccines available.—AOL, GMA News