MANILA, Philippines — The Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) is confident of achieving growth even as geopolitical tensions and policy changes in the United States bring challenges.
“The contact center and business process sector are preparing for any policy changes that may affect growth, especially in light of renewed geopolitical uncertainties,” CCAP president Haidee Enriquez said in a statement.
“But we remain confident. Our agility and resilience, sharpened through the pandemic and AI (artificial intelligence) integration, position us to withstand these disruptions,” she said.
Among the challenges to the contact center industry is the US’ renewed protectionist stance as President Donald Trump is pushing to bring back jobs in America’s shores.
During Trump’s first term, industry growth fell sharply from 12.3 percent in 2016 to just 2.5 percent in 2017 and 3.9 percent in 2018.
With Trump’s second term underway, the umbrella organization of the country’s contact center industry is closely watching changes in investor sentiment.
The US is the biggest source of outsourced work to the Philippines, accounting for approximately 85 percent of total contracts, based on Nexford University data from 2021.
The rest of the demand comes from the United Kingdom and Australia.
While the information technology – business process management industry is bracing for impact, Enriquez remains optimistic about reaching the industry’s $49 billion revenue goal by 2028.
Last year, CCAP’s revenues went up by 6.8 percent to $31.5 billion from $29.5 billion in 2023.
However, revenues fell below the $32.16 billion goal for last year.
Employment in the contact center industry reached 1.62 million workers last year, up by 7.3 percent from 1.51 million in 2023.
To achieve growth, CCAP is continuing efforts to equip the workforce with neccessary skills to utilize new technologies.
“We are consistently re-skilling and upskilling our workforce while strategically integrating AI into our operations,” Enriquez said.
The CCAP is also set to tackle challenges and opportunities for the industry during its flagship conference, Contact Islands 2025, at the Fili Hotel, NUSTAR in Cebu from May 27 to 29.
“Contact Islands 2025 will not be business as usual,” Enriquez said, noting the event will be a venue for discussions on forces redefining the industry, the country and its global role.
“Despite global headwinds, we are creating jobs, accelerating digital adoption and contributing to national economic growth,” she said.
