As of 2010, the Philippines’ IT-BPM sector has already overtaken India’s standing in voice-based services, making the country the number one provider for such services in the global economy. Voice-based services is also identified as the largest contributor in the local BPO industry, comprising 64% (493,000) of generated direct employment and 67% ($ 7.4 billion) of total revenues in 2011. Aside from this, several non-voice and complex BPO services such as healthcare information management, knowledge process outsourcing, engineering, animation, and software development are gaining prominence in the global BPO sector and are in a higher growth pace vis-à-vis voice-based businesses.

The global foothold of the Philippine IT-BPM industry is largely attributable to the strong skills of the Philippine labor force. In voice-based services, Filipinos hold competitive advantage in English communication skills, strong customer service orientation, and adaptability to consumers’ Western culture. In non-voice and complex services, The Economist and Everest Group analysts report the growing number of businesses providing healthcare information management, human resources management, business intelligence, and offshore financial consulting in the Philippines. Coupled with Filipinos’ hard work and openness to learning, these two existing advantages provide investors with a strong advantage once they set up shops in the country.

As an enabler of business, the Philippine government provides IT-BPM firms with one of the best investment environment so that they can operate their enterprises productively. For instance, the Board of Investments (BOI) provide income tax holidays, tariff reductions in capital equipment and streamlined business registration and coordination procedures for non-voice and knowledge process outsourcing enterprises which produce original content. The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) also provides an incentives package for IT-BPM businesses, including voice-based services in its scope of qualified investors. Aside from better coordination procedures with government, IT-BPM enterprises benefit from a sound telecommunications infrastructure in the country as well as a stable pool of skilled professionals in urban cities, where the population base is growing at stable replacement rates. These conditions assure that businesses can conduct their activities within a stable macroeconomic and investment climate.