Cebu’s IT-BPM industry to sustain growth
Cebu continues to maintain a high level of competitiveness thanks to the expansion of the existing information technology-business process management (IT-BPM) industry. Cebu IT-BPM Organization (CIB.O) managing director Wilfredo Sa-a Jr. said Cebu still managed to grow even more than Manila despite the challenges the IT-BPM industry faced this year. Growth in human resources is among the ways stakeholders gauge industry growth. Sa-a said one company grew its headcount by almost 100%. He added that they expect the industry in Cebu to end the year with at least 160,000 workers, up from last year’s 150,000. Although some companies experienced contractions and registered flat growth, he said others posted growth. Cebu fared even better compared to Manila, where the growth rate has significantly gone down. According to Sa-a Cebu’s strong brand as a trade and tourism destination, coupled with the presence of highly-educated, English-speaking workers continues to attract investors to the province.
