The IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) has secured a more direct hand in shaping the country’s talent pipeline, landing a seat on the Philippine Qualifications Framework National Coordinating Council (PQF-NCC).
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved the entry into PQF-NCC of IBPAP chief operating officer Celeste Ilagan as Industry Sector Representative, a move that effectively brings the voice of a 1.9-million-strong workforce into the room where skills policy is defined.
The PQF-NCC is not exactly dinner-table conversation, but its influence is far-reaching: it standardizes how skills are classified, taught, and recognized across the Philippines. Ilagan’s appointment, then, is less ceremonial and more strategic. It positions the IT-BPM sector—long a pillar of the economy—as both subject and shaper of the rules governing future talent.
For IBPAP, the timing is apt. The industry is pivoting from volume-driven outsourcing to higher-value, tech-enabled services, where job roles evolve as quickly as the tools that define them. Aligning education with that pace has been a persistent challenge—and, increasingly, a competitive necessity.
“We are honored to have IBPAP represented at the PQF-NCC,” said Jack Madrid, the association’s president and CEO. “It reflects the role the industry plays today—and the responsibility that comes with it.” His subtext is clear: workforce policy works best when it’s informed by those actually hiring.
The group also acknowledged the administration’s support, thanking the President and the Department of Education under Sonny Angara for ongoing collaboration in refining the qualifications framework. In policy circles, alignment is everything; in business, it’s often the difference between growth and stagnation.
With a formal seat at the table, IBPAP now has the opportunity—and the burden—of ensuring that curricula, credentials, and career pathways reflect real market demand. In a global industry where talent is both product and differentiator, that influence could prove as valuable as any export revenue.
