At least 15 individuals were hired during the career fair spearheaded by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) at SM City Laoag on Wednesday.

The event is participated by at least 17 companies with over 300 vacancies in the information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry.

“As of 3 p.m., at least 15 of the more than 150 participants were hired on the spot,” John Jasper Sanchez, digital cities program lead of the DICT, told the Philippine News Agency.

The career fair, held in collaboration with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Laoag City Public Employment Service Office (PESO), is in support of the digital cities program of the national government that aims to bring developments to locations outside Manila, promoting the wide opportunities available within the IT-BPM industry to local talents.

Sanchez said the country’s IT-BPM sector has evolved from a voice-centric call center base into a hub for high-value services.

Among the key sectors that drive high-value growth in the IT-BPM industry in recent years include finance and accounting services, healthcare information management, legal process outsourcing, game and software development, including data analytics and business intelligence.

In 2024, the sector recorded USD38 billion in export revenues, up 7 percent over the previous year.

It employed 1.82 million professionals last year, and this is expected to reach 1.9 million by the end-2025.

Laoag City mayor James Bryan Alcid expressed gratitude to the DICT and the other agencies as he believes that IT-BPM will play a vital role in shaping the future of business in Laoag and will open endless opportunities to local residents.

The sector is among the priority sectors being promoted by the provincial government, with both fiscal and non-fiscal incentives available for investors. (PNA)