The IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) expressed strong support for the digital and education priorities laid out in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 2025 State of the Nation Address (SONA), citing their critical role in sustaining the IT-BPM industry’s growth momentum.
While the President did not specifically name the IT-BPM sector in his speech, IBPAP President and CEO Jack Madrid said the industry sees itself reflected in the government’s renewed focus on digital infrastructure, education reform, and investor confidence.
“The 2025 SONA reaffirmed key national priorities—education reform, digital infrastructure, and investor confidence—that directly support the continued expansion of the IT-BPM industry,” Madrid said. “We remain confident that our sector remains a strategic partner of the government to contribute to the growth of the Philippine economy.”
The IT-BPM industry currently employs 1.82 million Filipinos, with growing footprints in emerging digital cities beyond Metro Manila. Madrid said this expanding reach underscores the sector’s role as a driver of inclusive growth, innovation, and foreign investment.
IBPAP particularly welcomed the administration’s emphasis on strengthening foundational skills in mathematics, science, and reading. Madrid cited the ARAL Program, TESDA’s senior high school integration, and investments in digital learning tools as critical to building a digitally fluent and future-ready workforce.
The group also praised the push to improve nationwide connectivity, including the National Fiber Backbone and the expansion of free Wi-Fi to 10,000 public sites. These efforts, Madrid said, “reinforce the viability of hybrid work models and support countryside expansion.”
On the investment climate, IBPAP noted that government initiatives such as eGov PH, infrastructure modernization, and adherence to good governance standards “send a strong signal to global investors that the Philippines is ready for next-wave growth.”
Madrid said IBPAP remains aligned with this national vision and is actively pursuing enabling policies including the CREATE MORE bill, the Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) Framework Act, and amendments to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. These are expected to boost job creation, enhance talent development, and further attract foreign investments.
“We remain on track to reach 1.9 million jobs and $40 billion in export revenues by the end of 2025,” he added.
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