Explore the Regional ICT Summit and Exhibitions (RISE) and learn about regional digital ecosystems, ICT councils, digital talent, IT-BPM, investment, innovation, infrastructure, and countryside digital development across the Philippines.
DIGITAL INVESTMENT ATLAS 2026
Regional Digital Investment Baseline and Opportunity Guide
BASELINE PERIOD: 2023-2025 RISE REPORTS
2026 VALIDATION STATUS: Pending unless a regional page is later marked VERIFIED 2026
Publication year is 2026; baseline figures retain their original source year. This is an investor-facing analytical synthesis, not an official investment prospectus.
2026 Edition | RISE Baseline + Validation Tracker
NATIONAL MARKET SIGNAL
- RISE built a multi-stakeholder pipeline spanning government, private sector, academe and national agencies rather than treating investment promotion as an LGU-only activity.
- The RISE PH whitepaper reports public-sector representation of roughly 40-50%, private sector 28-30%, academe 10-23%, and national agencies 13-19% across events.
- Mindanao showed the strongest private-sector participation in the national synthesis; Southern Luzon showed the highest concentration of LGU participation; the Visayas showed the most balanced representation.
- The corpus repeatedly positions talent availability, reliable connectivity, business-friendly processes, ICT councils and regional roadmaps as the core ingredients for IT-BPM and digital-services growth.
CONSTRAINTS ARE INVESTABLE NEEDS
- Infrastructure gaps were reported by 78% of respondents in the national business-environment assessment.
- Education-industry skills gaps affected 68% in the workforce challenge assessment; 62% cited limited access to advanced training.
- The business-environment assessment also reported limited funding (65%), regulatory complexity (56%), talent retention (52%) and connectivity issues (48%).
- 75% of regions reported basic training programs, but only 55% reported effective outcomes – creating room for employer-led training, certification and curriculum partnerships.
Source note: RISE WHITEPAPER-KVL-20250131.pdf, pp. 2, 4-8. National figures are RISE program baselines and should not be presented as 2026 market totals without fresh verification.
ESTABLISHED ANCHOR Reports show recognized digital-hub status, visible IT-BPM/private-sector presence and organized ecosystem actors.
EXPANSION PLATFORM Reports show talent, councils, roadmaps or infrastructure initiatives that can support new locators, with gaps still to solve.
FIRST-MOVER OPPORTUNITY Reports show a nascent locator base or significant infrastructure/talent gaps, but clear government and ecosystem intent.
VERIFIED 2026
Current fact checked against a 2026 authoritative source.
RISE BASELINE
Fact comes from a cited RISE/program report; original year is retained.
VALIDATION REQUIRED
Investment-critical fact is missing, old, inconsistent or needs a current source.
ATLAS OPPORTUNITY
Analytical investment proposition; not an official DICT/RISE designation or guarantee.
SOURCE DISCIPLINE
2026 VALIDATION RULE
Strong proof points remain: talent pipelines; operating locators/sites; connectivity and power; transport access; ICT councils/LGU support; roadmaps; and evidence of industry-academe execution.
Region | Investor lens | Reported anchor | 2026 validation priority / gap |
|---|---|---|---|
CAR | Expansion platform | Baguio innovation / talent ecosystem; 189 RISE participants | Regional connectivity and workforce alignment |
I – Ilocos | Expansion platform | 237 stakeholders; government-led ICT council development and local digital initiatives | Talent shortages, infrastructure, business-process streamlining |
II – Cagayan Valley | First-mover opportunity | 3,000 freelancers; Tuguegarao ecosystem plan with training/startup targets | Anchor locator base, fragmented talent, source inconsistency on BPO presence |
III – Central Luzon | Expansion platform | 45% moderate digital maturity; 65% with training programs; Metro Clark signal | Infrastructure and wider skills access |
IV-A – CALABARZON | Expansion platform | 250 attendees; strongest LGU participation cluster; Digital Cities linkages | Connectivity, office space, registration processes |
IV-B – MIMAROPA | First-mover opportunity | Puerto Princesa BPO anchor; inclusive connectivity/training agenda | Limited IT-sector presence and infrastructure outside core nodes |
V – Bicol | Expansion platform | Naga/Legazpi/Iriga digital-hub signals; BPOs, tech park and cyberpark represented | Regional roadmaps, infrastructure and skills alignment |
VI – Western Visayas | Established anchor | 13 ICT councils/11 active; investor kits; Iloilo Center of Excellence and business parks | Advanced skills, connectivity resilience, expansion beyond main hubs |
VII – Central Visayas | Established anchor | Cebu Top-100 city signal; extensive ICT/BPO ecosystem and infrastructure | Continuous talent development and coordinated secondary-city strategy |
VIII – Eastern Visayas | Expansion platform | Tacloban ICT Roadmap: broadband, hubs, e-gov, skills, startups, cybersecurity | Competency alignment and talent pipeline |
IX – Zamboanga Peninsula | Expansion platform | Zamboanga EcoZone/readiness + Dapitan roadmap + Oracle Cloud/AI training announcement | Connectivity, curriculum alignment, retention and reliable data |
X – Northern Mindanao | Established anchor | 25,901 annual graduates; 107 HEIs; 6 ecozones; 2 IT parks; 14 BOI ready locations | Power/connectivity gaps in some localities; data and retention |
XI – Davao | Established anchor | Private-sector-led RISE participation; IT-BPM scale-up and emerging-tech agenda | Regional metrics in exit report are limited; validate site-level capacity |
XII & LAMA | Expansion platform | SOCCSKSARGEN: 97 HEIs, 8 telcos, 2 ecozone/IT parks, int’l airport, 5 active councils | Talent alignment, incentives and wider ecosystem institutionalization |
XIII – Caraga | Expansion platform | 19,974 annual graduates region-wide; 55 HEIs; citywide backbone under development in Butuan | Talent tracking/retention and high-speed internet across barangays |
Source note: Synthesis of RISE regional exit reports and RISE WHITEPAPER-KVL-20250131.pdf. Investor-lens categories are Atlas analysis. The matrix is a baseline portfolio view; current market conditions require 2026 validation.
CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION (CAR)
Baguio City | 28 Nov 2024 · EXPANSION PLATFORM
A government-academe-led highland ecosystem with Baguio as the anchor and innovation/talent initiatives ready for deeper private-sector participation.
REPORTED PROOF POINTS
WHY AN INVESTOR SHOULD CARE
- RISE CAR deliberately centered talent development, the Philippine Skills Framework, business-environment readiness and ICT-industry collaboration.
- The national RISE PH synthesis identifies CAR with the Baguio Innovation Hub initiative and strong government-led engagement.
- Baguio was cited in RISE Digital Cities presentations among Philippine cities in the 2023 Tholons Top 100 Super Cities list.
GAPS / CONDITIONS TO SOLVE
- Expand ICT accessibility and infrastructure beyond the Baguio core.
- Close digital workforce competency gaps through industry-aligned upskilling and reskilling.
- Validate current investment incentives, office inventory, power/connectivity redundancy and available workforce at site level.
INVESTOR ENTRY POINTS
- Partner with universities/SUCs on employer-led certification, apprenticeships and remote-work pipelines.
- Evaluate Baguio and adjacent Cordillera locations for distributed IT-BPM, tech-enabled services and innovation partnerships.
- Co-invest in connectivity, innovation-hub programming and regional talent visibility.
2026 VALIDATION PRIORITIES
- Confirm current IT-BPM/technology locators and employment in Baguio/CAR.
- Update annual ICT/IT-BPM graduate supply, wages and employer-ready skills.
- Verify enterprise fiber redundancy, power reliability/cost and coverage outside Baguio.
- Confirm office/IT-park inventory, rents, incentives and current status of the Baguio Innovation Hub.
INVESTOR NEXT STEP
- Do not upgrade this page to VERIFIED 2026 until current sources are dated, cited and recorded for the priority fields above.
Source note: RISE CAR Exit Report.pdf; RISE WHITEPAPER-KVL-20250131.pdf; RISE 7 Exit Report.pdf (Digital Cities presentation). | Baseline year retained: 2024; 2026 market validation pending.
Back to contents ↑REGION I – ILOCOS REGION
Laoag City, Ilocos Norte | 22 Nov 2024 · EXPANSION PLATFORM
A coordinated, government-led regional platform emphasizing ICT councils, workforce development and a more investment-friendly digital business environment.
REPORTED PROOF POINTS
WHY AN INVESTOR SHOULD CARE
- Regional report documents local initiatives to improve public services, expand connectivity and promote digital literacy.
- RISE 1 emphasized a business-friendly environment for local and foreign investment, with ICT councils positioned as coordinating bodies.
- The national RISE PH whitepaper identifies Region I as a model of strong government-led ecosystem development.
GAPS / CONDITIONS TO SOLVE
- Talent shortages and need for expanded digital-skills training.
- Digital infrastructure improvement remains a stated priority.
- Business processes need continued streamlining to improve investor experience.
INVESTOR ENTRY POINTS
- Engage the ICT council/LGU network early to shape a location-specific workforce and infrastructure plan.
- Target hybrid and distributed digital-service models that can leverage local talent while infrastructure scales.
- Support industry-academe training and job-matching to convert graduates into investor-ready pipelines.
2026 VALIDATION PRIORITIES
- Confirm active ICT councils, current Digital City/Next Wave classifications and local roadmaps.
- Update annual ICT/IT-BPM graduate pipeline, workforce availability, wages and attrition.
- Verify operating locators, enterprise connectivity/power redundancy and ready office inventory.
- Confirm LGU/PEZA/BOI incentives, permitting timelines and investor-assistance contacts.
INVESTOR NEXT STEP
- Do not upgrade this page to VERIFIED 2026 until current sources are dated, cited and recorded for the priority fields above.
Source note: RISE 1 Exit Report.pdf; RISE WHITEPAPER-KVL-20250131.pdf. | Baseline year retained: 2024; 2026 market validation pending.
Back to contents ↑REGION II – CAGAYAN VALLEY
Tuguegarao City | 2 Apr 2024 · FIRST-MOVER OPPORTUNITY
A talent-first market with a sizeable freelancer base and explicit city targets for training, tech solutions and startups – attractive to investors willing to build with the ecosystem.
REPORTED PROOF POINTS
WHY AN INVESTOR SHOULD CARE
- DICT Region II reported partnerships with PLDT, Globe, Smart, Converge and DITO to keep freelancers connected.
- Tuguegarao has a Technology Ecosystem Development Plan with concrete talent and startup targets.
- Cauayan City was presented as part of the Philippine Digital Ecosystems, with Ilagan and Batanes expected to join.
GAPS / CONDITIONS TO SOLVE
- Talent is described as available but fragmented and insufficiently connected to employers.
- The report identifies limited anchor-locator presence and a need to strengthen the business ecosystem.
- Current BPO presence must be verified because RISE 2 contains conflicting statements on whether a BPO was already operating/invested in the region.
INVESTOR ENTRY POINTS
- Consider a first-mover distributed-services, remote-work or satellite delivery model tied to the 3,000-person freelancer base.
- Build an employer-led talent registry, screening and micro-credential pipeline with local schools and the ICT council.
- Use the city ecosystem plan as a co-investment framework for training, startup procurement and local technology solutions.
2026 VALIDATION PRIORITIES
- Resolve the source inconsistency on BPO presence; identify current operating locators and headcount.
- Re-validate the reported freelancer base and map talent by city/province and skill category.
- Update HEI/TVET graduate output, employer partnerships and implementation of Tuguegarao ecosystem targets.
- Verify enterprise connectivity, power reliability, office/site inventory, incentives and investor contacts.
INVESTOR NEXT STEP
- Do not upgrade this page to VERIFIED 2026 until current sources are dated, cited and recorded for the priority fields above.
Source note: RISE 2 Exit Report.pdf. | Baseline year retained: 2024; 2026 market validation pending.
Back to contents ↑REGION III – CENTRAL LUZON
Metro Clark / Pampanga | 9 Dec 2024 national RISE · EXPANSION PLATFORM
A Clark-anchored regional market with measurable digital-maturity signals, training adoption and active ecosystem-building institutions.
REPORTED PROOF POINTS
WHY AN INVESTOR SHOULD CARE
- National RISE exit report describes activated ICT councils, innovation hubs and increased LGU engagement as program achievements.
- Metro Clark was cited in RISE Digital Cities presentations among nine Philippine cities in the 2023 Tholons Top 100 Super Cities list.
- Existing training adoption creates a base for scaled employer-led workforce programs.
GAPS / CONDITIONS TO SOLVE
- Continued investment in ICT infrastructure is explicitly recommended.
- Access to skills-development programs needs to widen.
- Regional maturity is uneven, so site-level readiness should be assessed beyond Clark.
INVESTOR ENTRY POINTS
- Use Metro Clark as an anchor for regional expansion while screening adjacent Central Luzon nodes for talent and cost advantages.
- Partner with existing training programs to build role-specific pipelines in AI-enabled services, cloud and advanced IT-BPM skills.
- Back innovation hubs and ICT councils with measurable locator-readiness scorecards.
2026 VALIDATION PRIORITIES
- Update Metro Clark/current regional IT-BPM locators, headcount and expansion pipeline.
- Verify current graduate supply, training capacity and availability of specialized digital skills.
- Confirm PEZA/economic-zone and office inventory, rents, power reliability and fiber redundancy.
- Update LGU incentives, permitting/ease-of-business metrics and investor-support contacts.
INVESTOR NEXT STEP
- Do not upgrade this page to VERIFIED 2026 until current sources are dated, cited and recorded for the priority fields above.
Source note: RISE 3 – National RISE Exit Report.pdf; RISE 7 Exit Report.pdf (Digital Cities presentation). | Baseline year retained: 2024; 2026 market validation pending.
Back to contents ↑REGION IV-A – CALABARZON
Bacoor City, Cavite | 18 Oct 2024 · EXPANSION PLATFORM
A high-LGU-engagement growth region with digital-city linkages and clear demand for more connectivity, office inventory and streamlined business entry.
REPORTED PROOF POINTS
WHY AN INVESTOR SHOULD CARE
- The national RISE PH whitepaper identifies Southern Luzon – particularly CALABARZON – as the cluster with the highest LGU participation.
- Bacoor reported digital initiatives in public services, connectivity and digital literacy.
- RISE discussions emphasized investment attraction, startup support, workforce readiness and Digital Cities 2025 linkages.
GAPS / CONDITIONS TO SOLVE
- Connectivity and internet-service improvements were explicitly identified.
- Office-space availability/readiness was identified as a growth factor.
- Registration and business processes need continued streamlining.
INVESTOR ENTRY POINTS
- Target city-specific expansion where LGU support and office/connectivity capacity can be demonstrated.
- Use the strong LGU network to structure regional talent and permitting agreements before site selection.
- Consider infrastructure, managed-workspace and digital-skills partnerships alongside direct IT-BPM investment.
2026 VALIDATION PRIORITIES
- Map current locators and employment across major CALABARZON cities, not only Metro Manila spillover.
- Update office/IT-park inventory, vacancy, rents and PEZA/BOI site status.
- Verify enterprise connectivity, power reliability/cost and transport access by growth node.
- Confirm talent pipeline, wages/attrition, incentives and actual business-registration timelines.
INVESTOR NEXT STEP
- Do not upgrade this page to VERIFIED 2026 until current sources are dated, cited and recorded for the priority fields above.
Source note: RISE 4-A Exit Report.pdf; RISE WHITEPAPER-KVL-20250131.pdf. | Baseline year retained: 2024; 2026 market validation pending.
Back to contents ↑REGION IV-B – MIMAROPA
Puerto Princesa City, Palawan | 10 Oct 2024 · FIRST-MOVER OPPORTUNITY
A remote-region opportunity with an existing Puerto Princesa BPO anchor but material infrastructure and talent-pipeline gaps outside core locations.
REPORTED PROOF POINTS
WHY AN INVESTOR SHOULD CARE
- The report describes DICT efforts to expand infrastructure and training access in underserved MIMAROPA communities.
- Puerto Princesa provides evidence that IT-BPM operations can take root in the region; the report cites Foundever (formerly Sitel) as the city’s first BPO.
- Regional leaders are exploring virtual internships, TESDA-registered digital technology centers and industry-led training.
GAPS / CONDITIONS TO SOLVE
- The roundtable explicitly cites lack of IT-sector presence, inadequate infrastructure and limited industry opportunities for students.
- MIMAROPA is described as traditionally remote and less digitally connected.
- Region-wide comparable metrics on graduates, office stock, power resilience and telecom redundancy are not consolidated in the report.
INVESTOR ENTRY POINTS
- Anchor first-mover activity around Puerto Princesa, then build spokes only where connectivity and talent can be validated.
- Combine locator investment with training, virtual internships and local OJT frameworks.
- Explore connectivity partnerships as part of the business model rather than treating last-mile infrastructure as a fixed external condition.
2026 VALIDATION PRIORITIES
- Confirm current Puerto Princesa and wider MIMAROPA locators, seats/headcount and expansion plans.
- Update HEI/TVET graduate pipeline and available remote-work/freelance talent.
- Verify inter-island/subsea connectivity resilience, power reliability/cost and business-continuity risks.
- Confirm ready office sites, incentives, air/sea access and investor-assistance mechanisms.
INVESTOR NEXT STEP
- Do not upgrade this page to VERIFIED 2026 until current sources are dated, cited and recorded for the priority fields above.
Source note: RISE 4-B Exit Report.pdf; RISE WHITEPAPER-KVL-20250131.pdf. | Baseline year retained: 2024; 2026 market validation pending.
Back to contents ↑REGION V – BICOL REGION
Naga City | 28 May 2024 · EXPANSION PLATFORM
A multi-city digital-services corridor with Naga, Legazpi and Iriga already connected to national digital-city programs and a visible mix of BPO, tech, academe and startup actors.
REPORTED PROOF POINTS
WHY AN INVESTOR SHOULD CARE
- Naga was identified as a pioneer Next Wave City; Legazpi and Iriga were among Digital Cities selected for 2021-2025 interventions.
- RISE 5 participant ecosystem included Concentrix, Sutherland, Innodata Legazpi, IBM CAMSUR, Quantrics, Naga City Technology Park and Robinsons Cyberpark Naga.
- The summit increased LGU interest in location-specific digital transformation roadmaps tied to talent, business environment and ICT infrastructure.
GAPS / CONDITIONS TO SOLVE
- Government recommendations call for stronger digital infrastructure and streamlined regulatory processes.
- Academic programs need tighter alignment with IT-BPM requirements and internships/apprenticeships.
- Roadmaps and readiness data need to extend across provinces and municipalities, not only established city nodes.
INVESTOR ENTRY POINTS
- Evaluate Naga-Legazpi-Iriga as a corridor rather than a single-city proposition.
- Partner with universities and existing BPOs on high-demand skills, internships and talent conversion.
- Use local roadmaps to identify secondary locations for satellite, remote-work and startup operations.
2026 VALIDATION PRIORITIES
- Confirm current IT-BPM/technology locators and headcount in Naga, Legazpi, Iriga and other nodes.
- Update graduate pipeline, specialized digital skills, wages and attrition.
- Verify current tech-park/cyberpark/office inventory, enterprise fiber and power reliability.
- Confirm city classifications, incentives, business-registration timelines and investor contacts.
INVESTOR NEXT STEP
- Do not upgrade this page to VERIFIED 2026 until current sources are dated, cited and recorded for the priority fields above.
Source note: RISE 5 Exit Report.pdf. | Baseline year retained: 2024; 2026 market validation pending.
Back to contents ↑REGION VI – WESTERN VISAYAS
Iloilo City | 2024 RISE 6 · ESTABLISHED ANCHOR
One of the strongest source-backed digital investment ecosystems in the RISE corpus, combining active ICT councils, investor kits, established IT-BPM operations and inter-LGU economic coordination.
REPORTED PROOF POINTS
WHY AN INVESTOR SHOULD CARE
- The report provides investor kits for Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo and Negros Occidental.
- Iloilo’s ecosystem is described as hosting multinational corporations in business parks alongside local startups in co-working spaces.
- Iloilo City BPLO reported investor incentives, startup/MSME support and implementation of an integrated Business Permit and Licensing System.
GAPS / CONDITIONS TO SOLVE
- Advanced skills in AI, data analytics, cybersecurity and multilingual services require continuous upgrading.
- Reliable connectivity remains critical as IT-BPM shifts toward remote/hybrid models.
- Expansion opportunity outside Iloilo/Bacolod should be supported by comparable site-level data and talent mapping.
INVESTOR ENTRY POINTS
- Use Iloilo as an established anchor for Western Visayas delivery and talent operations.
- Screen investor-kit provinces for specialized satellite sites, remote-work hubs and niche services.
- Partner with IFIT/MIGEDC and HEIs on PSF-aligned talent programs and shared regional marketing.
2026 VALIDATION PRIORITIES
- Update current locators/headcount and expansion plans in Iloilo, Bacolod and emerging secondary locations.
- Verify graduate supply and advanced-skill depth in AI, analytics, cybersecurity and multilingual services.
- Confirm business-park/office capacity, rents, fiber/power redundancy and disaster-recovery readiness.
- Refresh province-level investor kits, incentives and named investment-promotion contacts.
INVESTOR NEXT STEP
- Do not upgrade this page to VERIFIED 2026 until current sources are dated, cited and recorded for the priority fields above.
Source note: RISE 6 Exit Report.pdf. | Baseline year retained: 2024; 2026 market validation pending.
Back to contents ↑REGION VII – CENTRAL VISAYAS
Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu | 5 Dec 2023 · ESTABLISHED ANCHOR
A mature Cebu-centered ICT/BPO ecosystem with deep private-sector participation and infrastructure, offering an anchor for wider Central Visayas talent and city partnerships.
REPORTED PROOF POINTS
WHY AN INVESTOR SHOULD CARE
- RISE 7 brought together LGUs, universities and executives from major IT-BPM and technology companies, reflecting a dense ecosystem.
- The report explicitly cites rich demographic advantages and extensive infrastructure, including educational institutions, telecom providers, economic zones and IT parks.
- Cebu was cited in the RISE Digital Cities presentation among nine Philippine cities in the 2023 Tholons Top 100 Super Cities list.
GAPS / CONDITIONS TO SOLVE
- Recommendations call for stronger collaborative strategic planning across stakeholders.
- Continuous talent development is required as employers become more skills-based and industry roles diversify.
- Secondary-city opportunities need deliberate ecosystem partnerships rather than relying on Cebu’s gravity alone.
INVESTOR ENTRY POINTS
- Use Cebu as the primary anchor for scale, leadership and specialized talent.
- Build regional pipelines with Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, Bogo, Danao, Tagbilaran and other participating LGUs only after site-level readiness checks.
- Co-design internship-to-employment and employer-led talent programs with universities.
2026 VALIDATION PRIORITIES
- Update Cebu/Mandaue/Lapu-Lapu and secondary-city IT-BPM locators, headcount and growth pipeline.
- Confirm annual graduate output, workforce depth, wages, attrition and specialized skill supply.
- Verify Grade A/B and PEZA office inventory, vacancy/rents, enterprise fiber and power cost/reliability.
- Refresh incentives, permitting timelines and secondary-city location strategies.
INVESTOR NEXT STEP
- Do not upgrade this page to VERIFIED 2026 until current sources are dated, cited and recorded for the priority fields above.
Source note: RISE 7 Exit Report.pdf. | Baseline year retained: 2023; 2026 market validation pending.
Back to contents ↑REGION VIII – EASTERN VISAYAS
Tacloban City | 10 Sep 2024 · EXPANSION PLATFORM
A roadmap-backed Tacloban growth platform with explicit plans for broadband, digital hubs, e-government, skills, startups and cybersecurity.
REPORTED PROOF POINTS
WHY AN INVESTOR SHOULD CARE
- Tacloban is described in the report as one of the Philippines’ key digital cities.
- The ICT Roadmap covers digital infrastructure, e-government, digital skills, innovation/entrepreneurship, and cybersecurity/data privacy.
- RISE 8 connected the roadmap to talent development and investment-friendly policy discussions.
GAPS / CONDITIONS TO SOLVE
- Recommendations call for competency assessments, senior-high curriculum relevance, PSF-aligned curricula and teacher upskilling.
- Talent pipeline quality is a core constraint even where city strategy is clear.
- Current broadband capacity, office inventory, power resilience and incentives need investor-grade validation.
INVESTOR ENTRY POINTS
- Use the roadmap as a structured government engagement tool for location assessment.
- Partner with schools on assessments, PSF curriculum alignment and teacher/faculty industry exposure.
- Consider digital services, startup/incubator partnerships and cyber/data-privacy capability building alongside IT-BPM.
2026 VALIDATION PRIORITIES
- Measure implementation of the Tacloban ICT Roadmap: broadband, digital hubs, e-government, startup/incubator and cyber initiatives.
- Confirm current locators/headcount and talent demand in Tacloban and wider Eastern Visayas.
- Update graduate pipeline, industry-aligned curricula, certifications and faculty upskilling.
- Verify office sites, enterprise connectivity, power reliability/cost, incentives and transport access.
INVESTOR NEXT STEP
- Do not upgrade this page to VERIFIED 2026 until current sources are dated, cited and recorded for the priority fields above.
Source note: RISE 8 Exit Report.pdf. | Baseline year retained: 2024; 2026 market validation pending.
Back to contents ↑REGION IX – ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA
Zamboanga City + Dapitan/Zamboanga del Norte | 28 Nov 2023 & 30 Jul 2024 · EXPANSION PLATFORM
A two-node opportunity: Zamboanga City offers an EcoZone/investment-readiness story, while Zamboanga del Norte is building a talent and roadmap pipeline for the next wave of IT-BPM growth.
REPORTED PROOF POINTS
WHY AN INVESTOR SHOULD CARE
- RISE 9 reports local efforts to upgrade systems, lines and towers, strengthen peace/order and use the EcoZone for IT-company accommodation.
- RISE 9.2 announced Oracle Cloud Technology and AI courses to be piloted at Western Mindanao State University.
- Dapitan/Zamboanga del Norte discussions produced a roadmap process and ICT-council momentum; Liloy leaders expressed a vision for an IT park.
GAPS / CONDITIONS TO SOLVE
- Connectivity challenges remain explicit in the reports.
- Curricula and faculty knowledge need faster alignment with industry needs; talent retention/brain drain was raised.
- Reliable regional data is repeatedly identified as necessary for business decisions.
INVESTOR ENTRY POINTS
- Treat Zamboanga City as the current infrastructure anchor and Zamboanga del Norte as a build-with ecosystem.
- Tie new investments to cloud/AI training, talent retention and work-from-home/hybrid models.
- Use ICT councils and LGUs to validate power reliability, EcoZone space, security and incentives before site selection.
2026 VALIDATION PRIORITIES
- Confirm Zamboanga EcoZone IT-ready sites, current locators/headcount and investment pipeline.
- Measure Dapitan/Zamboanga del Norte roadmap and training outputs since RISE 9.2.
- Update talent supply, fiber/mobile redundancy, power reliability/cost and air access.
- Refresh incentives, permitting, business-continuity/security information and investor-assistance contacts.
INVESTOR NEXT STEP
- Do not upgrade this page to VERIFIED 2026 until current sources are dated, cited and recorded for the priority fields above.
Source note: RISE 9 Exit Report.pdf; RISE 9.2 Exit-Report.pdf. | Baseline year retained: 2023-2024; 2026 market validation pending.
Back to contents ↑REGION X – NORTHERN MINDANAO
Cagayan de Oro City | 2024 RISE X · ESTABLISHED ANCHOR
The most data-rich investment case in the corpus: a large annual graduate pipeline, 107 HEIs, multiple ecozones/IT parks, active ICT councils and documented locator expansion.
REPORTED PROOF POINTS
WHY AN INVESTOR SHOULD CARE
- The report lists Cagayan de Oro as a Next Wave City and Iligan as a Digital City.
- Region X reports 19 ICT councils created, with eight active councils/LGUs collaboratively supporting IT-BPM locators.
- Qualfon inaugurated a new Cagayan de Oro site; the city also ran an investment tour showcasing universities, plug-and-play offices and full-scale relocation areas.
GAPS / CONDITIONS TO SOLVE
- Some local areas still report power and internet infrastructure deficiencies.
- The report flags high BPO turnover, startup-support gaps and outdated government data as investor-confidence issues.
- Talent retention and city-to-city consistency need continued work as growth spreads beyond CDO.
INVESTOR ENTRY POINTS
- Prioritize CDO/Iligan for immediate IT-BPM and digital-services expansion, then screen the 14 BOI-ready locations for satellites.
- Use the 25,901 annual graduate pipeline for role-specific hiring models tied to universities.
- Include power/connectivity resilience and data currency as gating criteria for secondary locations.
2026 VALIDATION PRIORITIES
- Re-validate the 25,901 annual graduates, 107 HEIs, economic-zone/IT-park counts and active ICT councils.
- Confirm current locators/headcount and expansion plans, including Qualfon and other reported industry players.
- Update office inventory/vacancy/rents, enterprise telecom redundancy, power reliability/cost and airport connectivity.
- Refresh incentives, BOI/PEZA site status, wages/attrition and current investment-ready locations.
INVESTOR NEXT STEP
- Do not upgrade this page to VERIFIED 2026 until current sources are dated, cited and recorded for the priority fields above.
Source note: RISE 10 Exit Report.pdf. | Baseline year retained: 2024; 2026 market validation pending.
Back to contents ↑REGION XI – DAVAO REGION
Davao City | 8 Nov 2024 · ESTABLISHED ANCHOR
A mature Mindanao IT-BPM anchor focused on scaling jobs, talent pipelines and emerging-technology competitiveness rather than building an ecosystem from scratch.
REPORTED PROOF POINTS
WHY AN INVESTOR SHOULD CARE
- RISE 11 focused on the importance of IT-BPM to the local economy, government plans for sector growth and job opportunities.
- Talent discussions involved TESDA and CHED, emphasizing industry-aligned training and a steady skilled pipeline.
- The summit included local investment-office and tech-company perspectives on attracting investment, supporting local tech businesses and leveraging emerging technologies.
GAPS / CONDITIONS TO SOLVE
- The short exit report does not provide a standardized regional dataset on graduates, office inventory, telecom redundancy, incentives or costs.
- Continued training alignment is necessary as the industry shifts toward higher-value and emerging-tech roles.
- Investor materials should separate Davao City’s mature capacity from readiness in the wider region.
INVESTOR ENTRY POINTS
- Use Davao City as a Mindanao scale anchor for IT-BPM and higher-value digital services.
- Build employer-led TESDA/CHED pipelines for AI-enabled operations, data, software and other higher-skill roles.
- Develop a standardized region-wide investment data pack before marketing secondary Davao locations.
2026 VALIDATION PRIORITIES
- Build the missing standardized dataset: current IT-BPM/tech locators, headcount and growth pipeline.
- Update annual ICT/IT-BPM graduate supply, wages, attrition and specialized skill availability.
- Verify PEZA/office inventory, rents, enterprise fiber redundancy and power reliability/cost.
- Confirm incentives, permitting timelines, investor-support contacts and business-continuity infrastructure.
INVESTOR NEXT STEP
- Do not upgrade this page to VERIFIED 2026 until current sources are dated, cited and recorded for the priority fields above.
Source note: R11 EXIT REPORT.pdf; RISE WHITEPAPER-KVL-20250131.pdf; RISE 7 Exit Report.pdf (Digital Cities presentation). | Baseline year retained: 2024; 2026 market validation pending.
Back to contents ↑REGION XII & LAMA – SOCCSKSARGEN, LANAO DEL SUR & MAGUINDANAO
Koronadal City / wider South-Central Mindanao | 2024 RISE 12 · EXPANSION PLATFORM
A sizable higher-education and connectivity base with an international-airport anchor in General Santos and organized ICT councils, plus a distinct remote-work/inclusion case in LAMA.
REPORTED PROOF POINTS
WHY AN INVESTOR SHOULD CARE
- SOCCSKSARGEN profile reports 97 HEIs, four Centers of Development/Excellence, 74 accredited hotels, 12 resorts, eight major telecom providers and one Digital City.
- General Santos, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Koronadal and Tacurong ICT councils were identified as active.
- Lanao del Sur & Maguindanao profile reports 2.86M population, 97 HEIs, eight major telecom providers and a Cotabato City domestic airport.
GAPS / CONDITIONS TO SOLVE
- Roundtable discussions highlighted limited IT graduates, curriculum-industry misalignment, faculty-development needs and emerging-technology awareness gaps.
- Talent migration and the need for sustainable work-from-home models were raised.
- Investor incentives and ICT-council institutionalization need to become more consistent across locations.
INVESTOR ENTRY POINTS
- Use General Santos/Koronadal as core nodes while building talent pipelines across 97 HEIs.
- Explore culturally inclusive remote/hybrid models for LAMA, where work-from-home was discussed as a route to broader participation.
- Pair locator attraction with school partnerships, scholarships, faculty upskilling and local incentive design.
2026 VALIDATION PRIORITIES
- Re-validate HEI, telecom, economic-zone/IT-park and airport-access figures for SOCCSKSARGEN and LAMA.
- Confirm current digital/IT-BPM locators and headcount in General Santos, Koronadal and other nodes.
- Update ICT graduate supply, remote-work talent, curriculum alignment, wages and employer demand.
- Verify power/connectivity reliability, ready office sites, incentives and region-specific investment contacts.
INVESTOR NEXT STEP
- Do not upgrade this page to VERIFIED 2026 until current sources are dated, cited and recorded for the priority fields above.
Source note: RISE 12 Exit Report.pdf. | Baseline year retained: 2024; 2026 market validation pending.
Back to contents ↑REGION XIII – CARAGA
Butuan City | 19 Nov 2024 · EXPANSION PLATFORM
An emerging Butuan-led digital platform with a large regional graduate base, multiple telecom providers and a citywide connectivity backbone under development.
REPORTED PROOF POINTS
WHY AN INVESTOR SHOULD CARE
- Butuan profile reports 3,559 graduates, 13 HEIs, seven telecom providers, 30 tech-voc schools, one domestic airport and Grade AAA power infrastructure.
- Butuan and DICT are developing a citywide internet backbone linking LGUs, public spaces and critical facilities, with free Wi-Fi in public areas.
- City planning highlighted road improvements and a logistical seaport; the report also points to skilled graduates from CSU and FSUU and an active startup/TBI scene.
GAPS / CONDITIONS TO SOLVE
- Butuan lacks a sufficiently documented talent pool, contributing to talent migration.
- High-speed internet expansion across barangays remains a recommendation.
- Digital Cities scorecard metrics and workforce readiness need improvement to convert potential into locator confidence.
INVESTOR ENTRY POINTS
- Build a talent registry and employer-led screening pipeline before committing to large hiring targets.
- Use Butuan as a pilot for distributed IT-BPM/remote work while backbone coverage expands.
- Consider partnerships in startup incubation, connectivity, smart-city systems and logistics-enabling digital services.
2026 VALIDATION PRIORITIES
- Confirm completion/current performance of Butuan citywide connectivity-backbone and free-Wi-Fi initiatives.
- Update current locators/headcount and re-validate graduate, HEI, telecom and training-provider figures.
- Verify office/IT-park inventory, enterprise fiber redundancy, power reliability/cost and airport access.
- Confirm innovation-hub/TBI status, incentives, permitting and investor-assistance contacts.
INVESTOR NEXT STEP
- Do not upgrade this page to VERIFIED 2026 until current sources are dated, cited and recorded for the priority fields above.
Source note: RISE 13 Exit Report.pdf. | Baseline year retained: 2024; 2026 market validation pending.
Back to contents ↑1. IT-BPM & GLOBAL BUSINESS SERVICES
Established anchors: Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Davao. Expansion platforms: Central Luzon, Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga, SOCCSKSARGEN, Caraga.
2. REMOTE / HYBRID DELIVERY
Region II reports 3,000 freelancers; Region VI highlights remote/hybrid industry shifts; Region IX and XII discuss work-from-home as a route to wider regional participation.
3. DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE
National assessment reports 78% infrastructure gaps. Region IV-A calls out connectivity and office space; Butuan is building a citywide backbone; MIMAROPA and Zamboanga continue to identify connectivity gaps.
4. TALENT, CERTIFICATION & CURRICULUM
Education-industry mismatch is the most consistent cross-region constraint. PSF alignment, employer-led training, internships, certification and faculty upskilling recur across CAR, VI, VIII, IX, X, XII and XIII.
5. CLOUD, AI & EMERGING TECHNOLOGY
RISE 9.2 records an Oracle Cloud/AI training pilot announcement; RISE reports across regions call for AI, data analytics, cybersecurity and emerging-tech readiness.
6. STARTUPS & INNOVATION HUBS
Baguio Innovation Hub, Bicol startup actors, MIMAROPA training/virtual-internship proposals, Region X startup ecosystem, Tacloban incubator roadmap and Caraga TBI activity show a pipeline beyond traditional BPO.
7. DIGITAL GOVERNMENT & EASE OF BUSINESS
Iloilo cites integrated BPLS; Tacloban roadmap includes e-government; CALABARZON calls for streamlined registration; regional ICT councils are repeatedly positioned as investor-coordination mechanisms.
Source note: Cross-report synthesis. These themes identify repeated investment needs/opportunities; they are Atlas analysis, not sector forecasts or guaranteed returns. Current demand, pricing and capacity should be validated in 2026 before investor use.
TEN REQUIRED 2026 FIELDS – EVERY REGION
1. Talent supply – Annual ICT/IT-BPM graduates by discipline; employed talent pool; wages; attrition; language/specialized skills.
2. HEI / TVET pipeline – Relevant institutions, enrollment, certifications, employer-academe partnerships and work-integrated learning.
3. IT-BPM / tech footprint – Current operating locators, sites, seats/headcount, service lines and announced expansion plans.
4. Digital ecosystem governance – Active ICT councils, roadmap status, current Digital City/Next Wave/other program status where officially applicable.
5. Connectivity – Enterprise providers, fiber routes/redundancy, bandwidth, latency/outage evidence and mobile coverage for key sites.
6. Power – Commercial/industrial rates, reliability/outage performance, backup capacity and renewable-energy options.
7. Office / site inventory – PEZA/BOI/IT-park status, Grade A/B or plug-and-play space, vacancy, rents, ready seats and expansion sites.
8. Access / logistics – Airport routes/frequencies, ports, highways, travel time and workforce commuting considerations.
9. Investment support – National/local incentives, permit timelines, BPLO/ease-of-business mechanisms and named investor-assistance contacts.
10. Cost, resilience & risk – Operating costs, disaster/climate exposure, business continuity, cybersecurity and other location-specific constraints.
VALIDATION WORKFLOW
- Record the exact source, URL/document title, publication date, access date and geographic coverage for every current figure.
- Prefer official/primary sources: LGU, PSA, CHED/TESDA, DICT/NTC, DOE/ERC, PEZA/BOI, airports/ports and company disclosures.
- Use a common reference period and definition across regions whenever possible; flag estimates and non-comparable definitions.
- If current evidence conflicts with the RISE baseline, preserve the baseline historically and show the new value separately – do not overwrite silently.
- Label a fact VERIFIED 2026 only after checking the source and date; otherwise retain RISE BASELINE or VALIDATION REQUIRED.
RECOMMENDED RELEASE GATE
- Minimum: 8 of 10 fields current for every featured location, with no missing connectivity, power, office/site or locator evidence.
- All investment propositions reviewed against the refreshed facts; unsupported claims removed or softened.
- Regional pages carry a last-validated date and named source owner/contact for future refreshes.
- Public edition includes the statement that investors must conduct independent due diligence and verify incentives and site conditions.
SUGGESTED REFRESH CADENCE
- Quarterly: locators, office availability, incentives and major infrastructure changes. Annual: talent, HEI/TVET and cost benchmarks.
Source note: All uploaded RISE materials listed in the Atlas. This 2026 edition is intentionally a baseline + validation tracker: it shows what the RISE corpus supports and exactly what must be refreshed before public investor release.
Baseline + Validation Tracker
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RISE Philippines
Regional ICT Summit and Exhibitions was designed and launched by Jocelle Batapa-Sigue during her tenure as DICT Undersecretary for ICT Industry Development (2022–2025). She created RISE as a national framework to map regional digital ecosystems, assess infrastructure gaps, and identify investment opportunities across the archipelago.
Building a national baseline for regional digital readiness
The program addressed a long-standing national challenge: the absence of a unified, evidence-based baseline for digital readiness outside Metro Manila. RISE became the first DICT initiative to consolidate regional ICT maturity, talent availability, and innovation capacity into a single national lens.
RISE was undertaken with the support and active participation of DICT Regional Offices across the country, together with ICT associations and councils, higher education institutions, host local government units, local offices of national government agencies, and representatives of the private and business sectors. Their participation helped ensure that the assessments and discussions reflected local conditions, regional priorities, institutional realities, and on-the-ground opportunities.
Under her leadership, RISE grew into the country’s most extensive digital-ecosystem mapping effort, engaging 3,349–3,513 stakeholders across 16 regional summits in Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Each event averaged 209–219 participants, representing government (40–50%), private sector (28–30%), academe (10–23%), and national agencies (13–19%).
The initiative generated 30+ regional policy proposals and recommendations and activated 125+ cross-sector partnerships that strengthened ICT councils and regional innovation networks.
