The Philippine contact center industry is bracing for potential policy shifts that could affect growth, particularly with a second Trump administration now in office in the United States.
Haidee Enriquez, president of the Contact Center Association of the Philippines, said the sector, which represents more than 167 companies, is closely watching for signals of economic nationalism and changes in investor confidence.
“But we remain confident,” she said.
“Our agility and resilience, sharpened through the pandemic and AI integration, position us to withstand these disruptions.”
The CCAP said past experience offers reason for caution. During Trump’s first term, growth in the industry fell significantly, from 12.3 percent in 2016 to 2.5 percent in 2017 and 3.9 percent in 2018.
Despite external challenges, the industry delivered a solid performance in 2024, posting $31.5 billion in annual revenue, a 6.8 percent increase over the $29.5 billion projection originally set for 2025.
Contact centers accounted for 83 percent of the IT-BPM industry’s total $38 billion revenue in 2024.
The workforce also expanded, reaching 1.62 million in 2024, an 11 percent increase from 1.51 million in 2023 and representing 89 percent of employment in the broader IT-BPM sector.
“We are consistently re-skilling and upskiling our workforce while strategically integrating AI into our operations,” Enriquez said. “Despite global headwinds, we are creating jobs, accelerating digital adoption and contributing to national economic growth.”
She noted that the perceived and actual challenges facing the industry will be discussed during the upcoming Contact Islands 2025.
With the theme “Beyond the Hype: CX, AI, and the Forces Reshaping Philippine Contact Centers,” the three-day summit runs from May 27-29 at the FILI Hotel in NUSTAR Cebu.
Enriquez said Contact Islands 2025 will serve as a critical platform for shaping the future of the Philippine contact center and business process sector.
CCAP is the umbrella organization of the Philippine contact center industry. The group serves as the focal point of sectors that enable the Philippines to sustain its leadership in the global contact center industry.
