Philippines eyes New Clark City as AI hub via Indian BPO partnerships
TARLAC, PHILIPPINES — The Philippines is positioning New Clark City as a potential hub for artificial intelligence (AI) development, aiming to attract overflow projects from India and generate tens of thousands of high-value jobs.
According to a report from BusinessWorld, the initiative comes as the country seeks to strengthen its role in the global outsourcing and technology landscape.
Partnerships with Indian BPOs for AI innovation
The Philippine Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said that it is currently conducting business partnership negotiations with major Indian business process outsourcing (BPO) firms that operate in the Philippines such as Infosys and Wipro. The partnerships would establish New Clark City as a key Southeast Asian center for AI and technology-based outsourcing activities.
“We want to explore how we can take advantage of the overflow of BPO (business process outsourcing) in India… We are putting a framework together on that (and it will involve establishing a hub) in New Clark City,” Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda said on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Editors and Economic Opinion Leaders forum last February 24.
“Their DR sites are here already, as well as their overflow. These companies have AI initiatives, so maybe they can establish AI hubs in Clark,” Aguda added.
The government aims to create 50,000 high-value employment positions during the next five years by utilizing the increasing need for AI specialists throughout the region.
Advancing semiconductor and digital workforce skills
The Philippines extends its partnership with India beyond AI activities by pursuing joint projects in cybersecurity training, workforce development and digital certification recognition.
The programs aim to develop a workforce which possesses necessary digital skills required for executing advanced technological operations that will continue to maintain the nation’s outsourcing competitive advantage.
Additionally, the Philippines intends to attract international technology companies and high-value projects by training its workers to acquire skills which are recognized globally.
The move reflects the Philippines’ ongoing strategy to capitalize on its established outsourcing infrastructure while moving up the value chain.
New Clark City will establish itself as a regional innovation center through its ability to attract AI and technology projects that will generate economic development and professional job opportunities.
The collaboration with Indian BPOs provides a tested foundation, as these firms already have established operations and talent pipelines in the country.
The growing global demand for AI and IT-enabled services will strengthen New Clark City AI hub that will establish the Philippines as a technology outsourcing center while it provides other Southeast Asian countries with a model to attract high-value investments and opportunities to develop their workforces.
