The Philippine IT-BPM sector generated USD 29.7 billion in revenues in 2023, accounting for roughly 7 percent of GDP and more than half of total service export earnings, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. For decades, the industry has been one of the country's most reliable economic engines, offering Filipinos salaries well above the national average without requiring them to leave home. BPO workers earned an average of PHP 440,411 per year in 2021, compared to the PHP 317,558 national average across all establishments, per the Philippine Statistics Authority.
But the same technology that is reshaping industries worldwide is now pressing hard against the foundations of this sector. Businesses are deploying AI-powered chatbots to handle routine customer queries, reducing their dependence on human agents for straightforward tasks. For a country where millions depend on contact center work for a middle-class income, the stakes could not be higher.
