In a little over 2 months…

Bohol aims to get 3k

more jobs in IT BPM

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA)—In two more months, Bohol aims to generate 30% more jobs in information technology-business process management (IT-BPM), forecasts Bohol Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado, while sharing his administration’s target during his recent State of the Province Address (SOPA).

With a present 7,000 fulltime IT-BPM workers now keeping Bohol’s IT BPM blip visible in global radars of IT BPM companies seeking to locate in areas where business can flourish fast, getting the additional 3,000 in such a truncated time may need a miracle.

Not really for Bohol, which has “Capacity first before opportunity,” emblazoned in its development plans.

Delivering his SOPA before a packed Bohol Cultural Center crowd of government employees, civil society groups, business community, academe and Bohol sectors, October 9, 2026, the governor who credited the critical Sangguniang Panlalawigan role in the over-all provincial accomplishments, bravely shared this, possibly based on the fact that in the last seven months, Bohol recorded billions in investments coming to Bohol.

In economics, investments always translate into jobs.

From October last year to May in 2026, P12.6 billion in investments were generated across renewable energy, tourism, commercial and mixed use development, infrastructure and services, the governor, whose leadership sustained a 9.0% Gross Development Product growth (GDP) in 2024 and still eked out a modest 3.9% in 2025, despite a global economic downtrend, reported to the Boholanos gathered at the venue and thousands more viewing on livestream media.

In the ICT alone, the opening of the ICM Cybercity has further dramatically expanded Bohol’s ICT business process management production seats, living up to what the IT BPM Association of the Philippines (ITBAP) said for Bohol as “no longer just an emerging site — it is well on its way to becoming a scalable and talent-ready IT-BPM hub.”

The trailblazing entry and the formal establishment of global IT BPM companies like IBEX, and TaskUS in Bohol jumpstarted the global attention turning to the province as a fine prospect, considering the presence of a decent and trainable talent pool, relatively lower operational costs and the luxury of working in a resort environment, according to IT BAP sources.

With the aggressive local IT Council, the province succeeded in convincing the private sector to put in investments in production areas where locators simply do not anymore need to haggle for a place to build and get operational snags before the production can start.

A week ago, Department of Economy, Planning and Development economic development specialist considered President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s signing of Proclamation No. 861 in March 6, of 2025, as yet another boost in Bohol’s IT BPM push with the 11,000 square meters of economic zones for IT BPM.

This will soon be called Tagbilaran City IT Park 2, just as the Capitol has opened the Bohol Business Park, another investment and economic zone where investors can have tax incentives and other local perks when putting up at the old airport.

Taking the cue, GenPact, another IT company established its operations in the Tagbilaran City Uptown IT Park 2.

Meanwhile, Bohol Business Park opened with itss first Global Delivery Center for Sagility, which pinned its presence in Bohol with its company’s Visayas hub, from where 3,000 new jobs for Boholanos would be in full operation anytime soon.

After Sagility, two more huge investments got in: Clear Insights, which is into market research and polling for top companies threw in its hat to join the fray in getting the raw talent pool here.

In the ensuing problem of the sudden need for work spaces, Regus, a global company whose pre-occupation is in providing flexible solutions for working spaces has seen the potential and came in.

Considering this, IT BPM stakeholders said the 3,000 new jobs which the governor has targeted by the end of the year, may just be a modest estimate, but already a huge rev speeding up Bohol’s production. (PIAbohol)

ECONOMIC RIPPLES. With 3,000 more full-time jobs in IT-BPM, this translates to more family spending power, more money stirring the economy and its economic ripples bring in more products, generating more economic activity in Bohol. (PIAbohol/CMB Pimo)

No one left behind

Poverty incidence fall

21.9 % after 25 years

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA)—Because no one should be left behind, a directive that Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado issued during his first term for all government agencies and non-government organizations, including sectoral development groups and funding institutions to focus their development efforts on Bohol’s identified poorest towns have produced results.

Sharing the good news to the Boholano development partners attending the State of the Province Address at the Bohol Cultural Center October 9, 2026, Aumentado, who took the relay baton in continuing the push to heave the province’s indigents over the threshold, said poverty has reduced 21.9 percent in 25 years.

This entailed continued pressure from two administrations, to which the younger Aumentado now wields.

From a poverty incidence of 50.2 percent in 2000, which led my father, Gov Erico B. Aumentado to create Bohol’s Poverty Reduction Framework, our poverty incidence among families fell to 11 percent in 2025, the lowest ever in Bohol’s history, Aumentado beamed, citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.

During his first public address on the state of the province, Aumentado noted that the PSA data showed all towns in Bohol First Congressional District having less than 20 percent of its population rated poor.

This after Balilihan, Calape, Catigbian, Loon and Tubigon, which had less than 40 percent of its residents rated as poor in 2021, improving their lots in 2023.

In Bohol’s Second District, when all 14 towns were still saddled with less than 40 percent of its population identified as poor, the figures changed in 25 with Clarin and Sagbayan lessening their poor to less than 20 percent.

In Bohol’s Third District, with just Lila, Loay and Loboc having less than 20 percent of its population rated poor, the figures improved in 2023 with Anda, Bilar, Dimiao, Duero, Garcia Hernandez, Guindulman, Jagna, joining Loay and Loboc.

Lila however, slid to Level 2, with 40% of its population now rated poor, as to the PSA data in 2023.

But, still, from 19 towns with less than 20 percent of its population still considered poor in 2021 by PSA standards, the figure in 2023 is 26, the governor pointed out.

In Bohol, all our component LGUS are within the two levels: Level 1 where 0 to less than 20% of the population are still poor and Level 2 where only 20 to 40 percent of the population are poor, Aumentado said.

Now with 22 towns still struggling to cut their poor to less than 20%, Capitol, as well as national government agencies and its development partners have lesser number of towns to pour in their development interventions, to continue reducing the poor, until no one is left behind. (PIABohol)

INCREASED CIRCUITS. With an increased number in tourism circuits following Bohol’s designation as a global geopark, The Aumentado Administration sees this as the perfect venue for communities within the geosites to benefit from tourism through their farm to table products or novelty gift ideas as travel souvenirs. (PIAbohol/CMB PIMO)