Philippines’ BPO Revenue to Reach 59 Billion USD by 2028

The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry in the Philippines is forecasted to grow as much as 59 billion USD in annual revenue by 2028.

According to the Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP), this growth would also translate to the employment of 2.5 million workers in the same year even with the emergence of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI).

CCAP managing director Rosario Cajucom-Bradbury said 2.3 million of these workers belong to the 150 members of their organization, the biggest association of BPO and IT companies across the Philippines.

The group is currently holding a three-day conference with at least 500 delegates from business process management and information technology companies in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu for the annual “Contact Islands Philippines.”

“We are confident that the target employment figure will be achieved even with the emergence of generative Artificial Intelligence. Contrary to common assumptions, our group believes that the new technology will bolster the sector’s productivity instead of threatening jobs,” Cajucom-Bradbury said in a press briefing.

“Generative AI can enhance the strengths of our Filipino agents who can then focus on active listening and become more empathetic and engaging when rendering service to our customers.”

Agents are also being “upskilled” to further equip them with the right knowledge and skills amid the evolving nature of jobs across the BPO sector.

Cajucom-Bradbury also said that the flexible Work-From-Home setup will continue to be allowed in the BPO except for those clients which require confidentiality and data privacy.

According to CCAP members, entry-level hiring in the BPO has an average startup wage between 15,000 to 20,000 per month excluding perks and benefits.

Expansion of BPO companies is also expected because of the continued growth even outside of Metro Manila.

Aside from favorites, Metro Cebu and Davao, the BPO companies are also eyeing the development of digital cities across the country including Rizal, Puerto Princesa, Batangas, Iloilo, Calamba, General Santos City, Tarlac, Zamboanga, Dagupan, and Cagayan de Oro.

This year’s BPO conference is themed “The Philippines, the heart of CX.”