25 CITIES EYED AS IT-BPM HUBS
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has teamed up with the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) and Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC) to transform 25 high-potential areas in the country into information technology (IT) and business process management (IT-BPM) hubs within five years.
The Digital Cities 2025 program includes Balanga; Batangas; Cabanatuan; Dagupan; General Santos; Iligan; Iriga; Laguna Cluster (San Pablo, Calamba and Los Baños); Laoag; Legazpi; Malolos; Metro Cavite (Bacoor City, Imus and General Trias); Metro Rizal ( Taytay, Cainta and Antipolo City); Olongapo; Puerto Princesa; Roxas; San Fernando, La Union; San Fernando City, Pampanga; San Jose Del Monte; Tacloban; Tagbilaran; Tarlac; Tuguegarao; Urdaneta; and Zamboanga.
“As part of the Digital Cities 2025 program, they will receive the support of the DICT, other government executive agencies, local government units, industry leaders and academic institutions. Combined with the assistance of these multiple stakeholders, we will be able to gauge what kind of multiple interventions each one will need to ensure progress and development,” said IBPAP President and Chief Executive Officer Rey Untal during the virtual launch of the program on Tuesday.
Points of action that the initiative will be focusing on include institutional development, talent attraction and development, infrastructure development, and marketing and promotion. This will involve the strengthening of information and communication technology ( ICT) councils, sharing of best practices, launching awareness campaigns and facilitating infrastructure initiatives.
The 25 cities under the program were chosen using a scorecard developed by DICT and IBPAP as well as insights provided by LPC that were based on a set of parameters reflecting priority areas for investors and locators such as talent availability, infrastructure, cost and business environment.
The program seeks to motivate existing players to expand beyond the National Capital Region, encourage new ones to set up shop in the Philippines and generate more opportunities for Filipinos.
“The launch of Digital Cities 2025 is a testament to the IT-BPM industry’s resilience and enduring role as a major growth driver of the Philippine economy. The countryside remains full of untapped potential and harnessing this can lead to countless more opportunities for continued expansion and sustained growth for the sector,” said Untal.
For his part, DICT Assistant Secretary Emmanuel Caintic said the IT-BPM sector continues to be a priority for the department, and the government is ready to support and make the necessary interventions to ensure that the digital cities achieve their potential.
“By working together with other executive agencies, local government units, industry leaders and academic institutions, we will enable each location to grow into centers of excellence that spur the development of other business sectors, de-risk Metro Manila concentration, create jobs and boost the local economy,” he said.
Opportunities ahead
LPC CEO David Leechiu, meanwhile, said that while the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and community quarantines affected business operations across industries, he foresees a surge in IT-BPM demand once the country and the rest of the world adopt to the new normal.
“Philippine IT-BPM will be instrumental in the country’s recovery from this health crisis so we need to be ready for the demand to start gaining momentum. This will be critical in how the world views us as a long-term investment versus our Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) neighbors,” said Leechiu.
He also cited the need to have more Philippine Economic Zone Authority spaces to take advantage of the huge demand for the industry.
“I think the pandemic has forced every major economy into recession. It’s unprecedented and the more countries go into recession the more they need to go offshore and into different locations, and the top two beneficiaries are the Philippines and India.