The government is aiming to generate $25 billion in export revenues from the information technology-business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) industry an increase jobs to 4.5 million by 2016.
This was disclosed by Undersecretary Alejandro Melchor III of the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) during the e-Smart World Asia 2012 conference hosted by the Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).
Under the Philippine digital strategy, the government to increase by 10 percent of the global market of IT-BPO and 9 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the next five years.
Alejandro noted that while the Philippines has surpassed India as the world’s number one call center destination, the government would aggressively increase by 200 percent its market share in four growth segments of the It-BPO industry.
The government aims to increase by 2.5 times the size of the industry workforce to 1.3 million by 2016 from about 600,000 in 2010 and improve the employability of talent pool by 200 percent from 5 percent in 2010 to 10 to 12 percent by 2016.
Among the major priority programs include the stepping up of the value-chain program to be launched in February this year, the next new wave cities program, the rolling out of the national quality for IT-BPO companies, and the transformation of TELOF properties into ICT Technohubs to support the ICT industry.
Alejandro stressed that under the next new waves cities program, the government would further th expand the creation of more jobs in the provinces by creating techno hubs.
Seventy-five percent of the BPO jobs are concentrated in the National Capital Region (NCR) and with only 25 percent of IT graduates are holders of doctorate degrees.
Alejandro said government intends to draw up a marketing plan by the third quarter of 2012 to promote the unique Filipino IT-BPO brand, launch the career opportunities marketing in February, improve workplace policies to attract more women to the IT-BPO workforce and highlight the success stories of Filipino entrepreneurs.
Other priority programs that would be implemented include the Philippine e-competency assessment test, the national soft skills development program and the e-learning and content development program.

Source: Manila Bulletin - January 20, 2012