IBPAP
Definition
IBPAP: Philippines’ IT-BPM Industry Association
IBPAP, the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines, is the umbrella industry body for the country’s IT-BPM sector. Founded as BPAP in 2004 and rebranded in 2011, it acts as the self-regulatory voice of more than 300 member firms — advocating on policy, talent, branding, and innovation for the Philippine outsourcing industry.
The sector IBPAP represents generated an estimated $38 billion in export revenues in 2024 and employs about 1.82 million full-time workers across Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, and Clark. IBPAP is headquartered in Makati City and led by president Jack Madrid — appointed in April 2022 after leadership roles at Yahoo Southeast Asia and Chalre Associates.
The association works alongside the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, the Board of Investments, and the Commission on Higher Education. It’s the sector’s primary voice at Congress, at the annual International IT-BPM Summit, and at investor roadshows overseas.
Funding comes from tiered membership dues, corporate sponsorships, and government partnerships. IBPAP publishes an annual state-of-the-industry report, maintains investor-facing market intelligence, and runs sector-wide talent programs that feed graduates directly into member companies.
Key takeaways
- IBPAP represents more than 300 IT-BPM member firms across the Philippines.
- Founded as BPAP in 2004 and renamed IBPAP in 2011.
- Runs on four pillars: policy, talent, branding, and innovation.
- Roadmap 2028 targets $59 billion in export revenues and adds 1.1 million net-new jobs.
- Backed the CREATE MORE Act signed into law in November 2024.
How it works
IBPAP operates through four strategic pillars: policy advocacy, talent development, country branding, and innovation. Member companies pay tiered dues and gain access to lobbying reach, workforce pipeline programs, market intelligence, and networking events across the Philippine outsourcing scene.
The 15-member board sits above six sub-associations, each representing a distinct segment of the IT-BPM industry. Sub-associations elect their own leadership and appoint representatives to IBPAP’s central board.
The six sub-associations are the Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP), the Animation Council of the Philippines (ACPI), the Healthcare Information Management Association of the Philippines (HIMAP), the Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA), the Global In-House Center Council (GICC-P), and the Shared Services Association of the Philippines. Each runs its own working committees, member events, and specialised advocacy focus.
| Pillar | What it does | Example initiative |
|---|---|---|
| Policy | Lobbies Congress and executive agencies on labour, tax, and incentives | CREATE MORE Act support (2024) |
| Talent | Builds the workforce pipeline from schools to mid-career reskilling | Service Management Program (SMP) |
| Branding | Promotes the Philippines to global buyers and investors | International IT-BPM Summit (annual) |
| Innovation | Pushes members up the value chain toward AI, analytics, engineering | GIC Council; digital services roadmap |
Members range from wholly-owned captives of global banks to Filipino-founded startups. Dues scale with company size and grant voting rights on policy positions.
IBPAP’s operations team coordinates working groups on labour, taxation, and infrastructure. The Global In-House Center (GIC) Council serves the captive shared-services shops of global brands like JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Manulife.
Examples
Concrete IBPAP outputs include the Philippine IT-BPM Roadmap 2028, the annual International IT-BPM Summit in Manila, the Service Management Program embedded in partner colleges, and public advocacy that helped grow the sector from $1.3 billion in 2004 to roughly $38 billion in 2024.
Over that same period, headcount climbed from around 100,000 workers to 1.82 million, and IBPAP’s remit widened from voice-driven contact center advocacy to include animation, healthcare, software, and captive shared services.
- Roadmap 2028 (published 2022): the industry’s five-year blueprint, targeting $59 billion in export revenues and 1.1 million net-new jobs by end-2028.
- International IT-BPM Summit: held annually since 2009, the sector’s flagship investor conference draws 1,500-plus delegates each cycle to Manila.
- Service Management Program (SMP): a Commission on Higher Education-endorsed curriculum embedded in more than 100 partner higher education institutions, feeding BPO-ready graduates into the pipeline every year.
- CREATE MORE Act advocacy: IBPAP publicly backed the CREATE MORE Act — signed into law by President Marcos in November 2024 — which secured the sector’s fiscal incentives and expanded work-from-home flexibility for registered firms.
- Near-Hire Program: a joint initiative with the Department of Information and Communications Technology that upskills near-graduates for entry-level BPO roles, scaled through 2024 across Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao.
Related terms
- BPO industry: the broader sector IBPAP represents in the Philippines.
- PEZA: the Philippine Economic Zone Authority that grants tax incentives to IT-BPM firms IBPAP defends in Congress.
- Call center services: one core segment of IBPAP membership, organised under the Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP).
- Knowledge process outsourcing: the higher-value services IBPAP’s innovation pillar targets.
- Global in-house center: captive shared-services shops represented under the GIC Council of the Philippines.
- Contact center: the largest sub-sector of IBPAP membership by headcount.
FAQ
What does IBPAP stand for?
IBPAP stands for the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines. It’s the umbrella body for the country’s IT-BPM industry, formed as BPAP in 2004 and renamed in 2011.
Who runs IBPAP?
IBPAP is led by a president and a board drawn from its six sub-associations. Jack Madrid took over as president in April 2022 and continues to lead the organisation through its Roadmap 2028 execution phase.
How much does the Philippine IT-BPM sector earn?
The sector generated approximately $38 billion in export revenues in 2024 and employs about 1.82 million full-time workers, per IBPAP’s public reporting.
Is IBPAP membership open to any outsourcing firm?
Yes. Firms operating IT-BPM services in the Philippines can join through one of the six sub-associations. Dues scale with company size and grant voting rights, event access, and workforce-program participation.
What is Roadmap 2028?
Roadmap 2028 is IBPAP’s industry blueprint, published in 2022. It targets $59 billion in export revenues, 1.1 million net-new jobs, and a shift toward higher-value services like AI, analytics, and engineering by end-2028.
Where is IBPAP based?
IBPAP is headquartered in Makati City in Metro Manila, with member firms concentrated in the National Capital Region, Cebu, Clark, and Davao.
How can businesses engage with IBPAP without joining?
Non-members can attend the annual International IT-BPM Summit, subscribe to IBPAP’s public reports, and participate in Near-Hire and SMP recruitment cycles. Buyers looking for Philippine partners can also access IBPAP’s member directory online.
Ready to see who’s building on IBPAP’s roadmap? Explore top BPO companies in the Philippines on Outsource Accelerator.
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