The  IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) now has a direct voice in shaping national workforce standards after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. approved the appointment of an industry official to the Philippine Qualifications Framework National Coordinating Council (PQF-NCC).

Celeste Ilagan, chief operating officer of the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines, will sit as Industry Sector Representative in the PQF-NCC — the government body that sets the benchmark for how skills and qualifications are defined across education and employment.

The move gives the IT-BPM sector, which employs 1.9 million Filipinos, formal standing in policy decisions that directly affect how the country develops and certifies its workforce.

IBPAP President and CEO Jack Madrid welcomed the development. "We are honored to have IBPAP represented at the PQF-NCC," he said. "It reflects the role the industry plays today, and the responsibility that comes with it. With Celeste serving as Industry Sector Representative, we can help ensure that talent development stays grounded in what the industry actually needs."

The appointment comes as the sector pivots toward higher-value, technology-driven services amid rapid global change — making alignment between industry demand and education policy more critical than ever.

IBPAP also credited the Department of Education, under Secretary Sonny Angara, for its continued partnership with the sector in advancing the qualifications framework.