BPO & Creative Industries

Ranking consistently among the top global providers of business process outsourcing (BPO), the Philippines is working to widen and deepen its portfolio of third-party digital services. Foreign companies delegating operations to providers in the Philippines generate roughly one-10th of the country’s GDP, indicating the degree to which BPO is fundamental to the stability of the economy. The industry is the primary avenue of employment and training for the middle class; the second-largest source of foreign currency earnings after remittances; and the driving force behind a network of ancillary transport and retail businesses. Thus, the BPO industry often acts as a bellwether for the country’s overall economic health. This chapter also contains interviews with Lito Tayag, Country Managing Director, Accenture Philippines; and Chair of the Board of Trustees, IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines; and Paolo Mercado, Founder and President, Creative Economy Council of the Philippines.