The Philippine information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry sees little immediate risk from two proposed US bills designed to bring outsourced jobs back to America, saying both measures have stalled in Congress and mirror earlier anti-offshoring proposals that never became law.
IBPAP Chief Operating Officer Celeste Ilagan said the industry is closely tracking the Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025 and the Halting International Relocation of Employment (HIRE) Act but remains confident neither is likely to move forward.
“At this point, we are not concerned about the proposed US bills, including the Keep Call Centers in America Act and the HIRE Act, as there has been no significant progress on either measure. Similar bills have been filed in previous sessions of the US Congress and were ultimately shelved,” Ilagan said.
Both measures remain stuck at the committee level, according to US Congressional records. The Keep Call Centers in America Act would require firms shifting call center operations overseas to notify the US Department of Labor, impose disclosure rules, and limit access to certain federal incentives.
The HIRE Act, meanwhile, would slap a 25 percent excise tax on payments to foreign service providers while eliminating tax deductions for outsourcing costs.
Ilagan acknowledged that the Philippine IT-BPM sector could face weaker revenues and slower hiring if either proposal eventually became law. But she said companies continue to offshore work to the Philippines because of its skilled workforce, competitive costs, and proven operational efficiency.
“The bigger question is whether US businesses would be willing to absorb the higher costs,” Ilagan said. “In the end, US companies and consumers could bear the heavier burden through higher operating expenses and less flexibility in delivering services.”
