By Dawn Solano
The Philippines’ business process outsourcing industry could provide artificial intelligence companies an entry point into the country, although many prospective customers remain unsure how the technology can help their operations, executives said.
Speaking at the AI Vision Forum Manila 2026 on October 28, Chairman Wilson Chua identified BPO companies as among the businesses where AI could be more readily adopted, citing applications in customer service.
Chua estimated that 60 to 70 percent of the businesses they deal with are still trying to understand what AI can do for them.
“Most of them, when we talk with them, they want to apply the AI into their company. So they want to know how,” he said.
Chua said the Philippines’ services industry and young, educated workforce influenced their decision to make the country the forum’s second stop after Malaysia.
AI Vision Global Alliance Limited described the Philippines as a “priority market,” citing its outsourcing industry and companies undergoing digital transformation.
Its Manila edition at Shangri-La The Fort in Taguig featured seven AI platforms and eight cloud partners, with teams available to discuss businesses’ requirements, costs and deployment timelines.
According to the forum chairman, some businesses still view AI as costly or difficult to use. They recommended starting with specific tasks, such as answering customer inquiries or supporting marketing, before expanding its use.
Applications discussed included systems that respond to messages and phone calls and refer requests to human employees.
One example involved small businesses using Viber groups to coordinate sales, customer service and customer requests. AI could help identify inquiries and prepare summaries of conversations for managers, Chua said.
Starting small with AI
Among the participating providers was Soric, whose CustomerOps system answers calls and consolidates conversations from WhatsApp, Viber and Messenger, according to the organizers.
The group said AI systems intended for Philippine businesses must handle multiple languages and fit existing operations, as many companies use English and Filipino and serve customers overseas.
Other platforms focused on website creation, search visibility, content production and app development.
A3SEO, headed by CEO Isaac Liu, was presented as a system that builds websites and generates content to help businesses reach customers. Other participants included HowOne, R2Y2, RunLink, Duck Reels and A3SEO’s TRXY platform.
The program also listed cloud providers including Alibaba Cloud, Cloudflare, Huawei Cloud and Oracle.
The forum was organized by AI Vision Global Alliance Limited with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hangzhou Technology and Innovation Research Institute.
The series began in Kuala Lumpur on August 4, drawing more than 150 industry leaders, technology providers and investors, according to organizers. Editions in Barcelona and Hong Kong are planned, with more Southeast Asian stops to be announced.
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