The global startup ecosystem has long looked to the Philippines for talent—but often only to Metro Manila, Cebu, or the usual outsourcing corridors. That narrative is now being rewritten from the highlands of the Cordillera.

On November 29, 2024, during my tenure as Undersecretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), I had the rare opportunity to visit the FullSuite Pod—a compact but high-performance operational hub powering some of the United States’ most promising technology companies.

Today, although I no longer serve in government, I continue this mission as a Countryside Digital Champion, and I remain grateful for that visit—made possible because I organized RISE Cordillera, a regional innovation gathering that brought leaders, founders, and ecosystem builders together.

A Breakout Model of Regional KPO Excellence

The Fullsuite Pod represents a shift from traditional outsourcing toward knowledge-intensive operations—the kind that require sharp analytical skills, legal reasoning, HR systems thinking, and startup-grade financial discipline.

Its team handles sophisticated processes such as:

• Legal operations and contract intelligence
• Venture-compliant HR and people ops
• Fintech workflow management
• Startup finance, tax, and compliance systems
• Operational analytics for scaling companies

This is not volume work—it is strategic work trusted by US founders who need accuracy, speed, and business maturity.

The Woman Behind the Movement: Maggie Po

At the center of this transformation is Maggie Po, an Ilongga from San Carlos City with deep Cordilleran roots. As the CEO and visionary behind FullSuite, Maggie has built a reputation in the US tech community as a reliable operations partner for early-stage startups preparing to scale.

FullSuite Pod supports founders from seed rounds to Series B, offering a package of services that includes:

• Corporate housekeeping and compliance
• HR infrastructure and onboarding systems
• Payroll, tax, and finance automation
• Executive operations support
• Growth-oriented back-office architecture

FullSuite Pod has become the backbone of several US startups — and has maintained a good and steady brand of service based on client reviews – quiet, precise, and consistently excellent.

Why the Cordillera Model Works

The FullSuite Pod harnesses what many in Manila often overlook:
the Cordillera’s deep culture of discipline, resilience, and quiet technical brilliance.

The region provides:

• Highly trainable professionals with strong retention
• Excellent English and global communication skills
• A calm environment ideal for high-focus tasks
• A growing youth population entering digital work
• Lower operational costs without compromising talent quality

This formula creates a powerhouse for next-generation KPO, an industry segment expected to expand globally as startups seek more specialized, operations-driven remote partners.

A Reminder: Great Innovation Is Happening Outside the Capitals

My visit was a striking example of how countryside ecosystems can support global industries—not as extensions of urban centers but as independent hubs of excellence.

From a modest pod in the mountains, Maggie’s team handles functions that ensure compliance, maintain investor trust, keep HR systems running, and guide founders through the operational chaos of startup life.

I am proud to know that they help American companies take off—without leaving the Cordillera.

A Personal Reflection as a Longtime Countryside Digital Advocate

Looking back, I feel privileged that my role in organizing RISE Cordillera brought me to the FullSuite Pod. It reaffirmed what I have been championing for two decades:

Talent is everywhere. Opportunity must be, too.

What I saw in that pod is the future I’ve always believed in—regions no longer waiting for development to arrive, but actively shaping it. Women leading global operations from their hometowns. Young professionals building world-class careers without migrating. Countryside innovation proving its worth through results, not rhetoric.

If the Philippines is to rise, it will rise from many places—not only from our capitals, but from the mountains, coasts, islands, and cities that have quietly carried global work all these years.

The Cordillera is one of those places. And leaders like Maggie Po are showing the world how high it can go.

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