BPO needs to move into higher-level skills as growth slows

The business process outsourcing (BPO) sector needs to move into higher-level skills and higher value-added services as government officials flagged a potential plateau in the outsourcing industry. The miscellaneous services component of the economy, which includes BPO, grew a mere 9.2% in 2017 from the previous year, compared to 19.8% from 2015 to 2016. Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said it is a sign of the maturation of the sector and the industry as a whole. Pernia underscored the need for the sector to shift to artificial intelligence and other high-value services.