CEBU CITY – The local contact center sector is eyeing a yearly annual revenue target of $59 billion by 2028. Despite the emergence of generative artificial intelligence (AI), the Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) is confident that the target revenue will be met. CCAP said that of the yearly annual revenue target, about $49 billion will come from the CCAP-member organizations. The revenue growth will also translate to the employment of 2.5 million workers, said CCAP managing director Rosario Cajucom-Bradbury. Bradbury said 2.3 million of the world employment will be generated from the 150 members of their organization. CCAP is the biggest association of BPO and IT companies across the Philippines. "We are confident that the target employment figure will be achieved even with the emergence of generative Artificial Intelligence. Contrary to common assumptions, our group believes that the new technology will bolster the sector's productivity instead of threatening jobs," Bradbury said in a statement. Bradbury added that generative AI can enhance the strengths of the Filipino agents who can then focus on active listening and become more emphatic and engaging when rendering customer service. She said Filipino agents are continuously being upskilled to further equip them with the right knowledge and skills amid the evolving nature of jobs across the sector and the industry. “Agents can be redeployed and upskilled to make them always relevant to the future business model,” said Bradbury. CCAP recently held a three-day conference in a hotel in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. At least 500 delegates from business process management and information technology companies attended the conference with the theme “The Philippines, the Heart of CX.” CCAP is expecting expansion of BPO companies outside of Metro Manila. Metro Cebu and Davao are the top destinations but BPO companies are also expanding to Rizal, Puerto Princesa, Batangas, Iloilo, Calamba, General Santos City, Tarlac, Zamboanga, Dagupan, and Cagayan de Oro. One of the issues that the industry is facing, according to Bradbury, is the possible wage increases. Analysts see wage increases as a pending threat to the industry’s cost-effective advantage. According to CCAP, entry level hiring in the BPO has an average startup wage between P15,000 to P20,000 per month apart from perks and benefits. “The Philippines is no longer just a labor arbitrage. Clients look at the quality of experience and work that are rendered. Customer experience covers the quality of care and assistance rendered. Thus, Filipino agents always stand out. They are customer-centric. Their empathy enables them to go the extra mile when serving customers,” said Bradbury.