“As an ally in creating jobs for more Filipinos and in nation-building, I assure you that my administration’s policies will be business-friendly and consistent to induce foreign investors and enable sustained growth for the IT-BPM (Information Technology and Business Process Management ) industry.”
This was stressed by Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno who at a recent roundtable discussion organized by the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP)––the umbrella organization of the IT-BPM sector in the country––vowed to address the issues and challenges faced by the sector, which generated an estimated $28.8 billion in revenues in 2021 and currently employs 1.43 million Filipinos.
“We have adopted online transaction in the city of Manila, and this is scalable; [Bureau of] Customs and other income-generating agencies of government, we have to adopt existing technology.”
Industry leaders, led by IBPAP president and CEO Jack Madrid, said among the issues the sector wanted the government to address are improving the ease of doing business, fostering future-ready digital talent, and a stronger national digital infrastructure that will drive digitalization and help future-proof the IT-BPM sector.
Moreno vowed that his administration would invest heavily in information technology infrastructure, particularly by building a national fiber optic backbone to boost the country’s communication capability and connect all schools, government offices, and industries that rely heavily on internet connectivity.
Technology will also be fully utilized in government transactions, pointed out Moreno, who explained that adopting a system of online transactions in the bureaucracy, similar to what he accomplished in Manila, will also reduce human discretion, which makes government processes vulnerable to corruption.
According to the Manila mayor, “we have adopted online transaction in the city of Manila, and this is scalable; [Bureau of] Customs and other income-generating agencies of government, we have to adopt existing technology.”
Due to innovative reforms, programs, and policies that successfully restored and increased business operations in the city, Manila was hailed by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) as the Most Business-Friendly local government unit for 2021.
“All we have to do is to put direction, right perspective, the right mindset of a leader towards a better system for the people, and for us to collect properly so that we will not resort to raising taxes. Maging episyente na lang tayong kumolekta at maging masinop at mainam sa paggastos,” added Moreno.
Due to innovative reforms, programs, and policies that successfully restored and increased business operations in the city, Manila was hailed by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) as the Most Business-Friendly local government unit for 2021.
The City of Manila also won three awards during the 2021 Digital Governance Awards (LGUs Best Practices in Information and Communication Technology). The awards include the Covid 19-Testing Center Web-Lab-IS – Best in LGU Empowerment Award (City Level) – 1st Place; the City of Manila Connection for Inclusion Award – Best in Customer Empowerment Award (City Level) 1st Place; and the Business Permit Licensing Service (BPLS) – Best in Business Empowerment Award (City Level) 2nd Place.