CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro (PIA) — Up to 700,000 jobs in the IT-BPM sector remain available nationwide, with about half expected to be located in provincial areas as the government pushes to expand digital employment beyond major cities, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said, Feb. 18, 2025.
The effort aims to decentralize opportunities traditionally concentrated in Metro Manila by developing emerging outsourcing hubs across the country, including the MIMAROPA region.
Countryside expansion
DICT officials said the government is promoting startup development, digital skills training and technology adoption among small and medium enterprises to help support the industry’s expansion outside major urban centers.
“Nasa 700K jobs pa ang opportunity for the BPO industry, and 50% of that will go to the countryside,” said Emmy Lou V. Delfin, regional director of the Department of Information and Communications Technology.
“Kasama dito ‘yung mga startup initiative natin, mga training, so pati actually capacitating MSMEs through technology, and we also work with DTI on that,” she shared in a radio tandem program of the Philippine Information Agency MIMAROPA and Radyo Pilipinas-Palawan.
DICT is working with the Department of Trade and Industry to strengthen digital capacity among micro, small, and medium enterprises while encouraging startup initiatives that could generate employment in regional economies.
Puerto Princesa among emerging digital hubs
In the MIMAROPA region, Puerto Princesa City in Palawan has been identified as a “digital city,” part of a group of 25 locations nationwide designated as emerging information technology and business process management hubs.
“For MIMAROPA, meron tayong tinatawag na digital city, and we have that in Puerto Princesa City as part of the 25 digital cities in the country,” Delfin said.
Government planners view these digital cities as key to spreading industry growth outside traditional outsourcing centers.
Existing BPO presence in Palawan
Puerto Princesa already hosts a small but growing outsourcing workforce.
“So ‘yung jobs natin ngayon, it should be around 3K BPO workers na naka-confine sa Puerto Princesa, meron tayong global BPO company there,” Delfin said.
Officials say further growth in the region will depend on improvements in digital infrastructure, investor confidence and continued support for developing regional technology hubs.
Outlook
The IT-BPM industry remains one of the Philippines’ largest employment generators, and government agencies see countryside expansion as critical to sustaining its growth while spreading economic opportunities to provincial communities.
By strengthening digital infrastructure, training workers and supporting startups, officials hope regions such as MIMAROPA can attract more outsourcing investments and create new jobs outside the country’s traditional business centers.