ILOILO CITY— Western Visayas is setting its sights on becoming a global leader in healthcare technology services, as regional and national stakeholders gathered this week for a two-day Healthcare Information Management System (HIMS) conference to chart the future of the sector in the region.
Led by the Department of Trade and Industry Region 6 (DTI-6), the event brought together key players from government, education, and the private sector to accelerate efforts in transforming the region, particularly Iloilo City, into a preferred destination for health and life sciences investments.
Healthcare Tech as Economic Catalyst
DTI-6 Director Rachel Nufable emphasised the immense potential of the HIMS industry in both job creation and economic development. “We believe that this industry, a big job generator, will bring the region to greater heights, transform our local healthcare system, and revitalise and accelerate economic growth,” Nufable said during the opening programme.
According to Nufable, the event represents thousands of high-value job opportunities and highlights growing international interest in Western Visayas as a competitive site for healthcare technology services. “It represents international companies looking at Western Visayas not just as another location but as a preferred destination,” she added.
The overarching goal, she said, is to establish the region as a hub for health and life sciences and ultimately position it as the HIMS capital of the world.
A Strategic Advantage in Talent and Infrastructure
Assistant Secretary Leonila Baluyut of the Department of Trade and Industry echoed the optimism, calling HIMS a “cornerstone of the modern economy” that integrates patient care with information technology to enhance operational efficiency and enable data-driven decision-making.
“Western Visayas, particularly Iloilo City, stands at the forefront of this transformation,” Baluyut said. She pointed to the region’s strengths: a solid educational system, a large pool of healthcare and IT graduates, and a supportive ecosystem for knowledge industries.
Citing data from the Iloilo Federation for Information Technology, Baluyut noted that Iloilo City is already home to more than 122 IT-BPM firms, many of which are focused on healthcare-related services. These companies employ around 47,000 direct workers and contribute to 188,000 indirect jobs.
Industry Momentum and Long-Term Vision
JL Botor, vice president of the Healthcare Information Management Association of the Philippines (HIMAP), reinforced the region’s global potential. In a press conference, he highlighted HIMAP’s ambitious targets: 285,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs and USD6.7 billion in revenue by 2028, up from 190,000 jobs and USD4.2 billion in 2025.
“You are on the right track. You are not off,” Botor told the local stakeholders. “We believe that there could still be growth even without our intervention, but with the interventions of both the government and the private sector, we can double it, we can triple it. And we can point the direction of Western Visayas to some of the investors to come to us.”
Botor emphasised that there remains significant opportunity for expanding HIMS operations in the region, provided the right support mechanisms are in place.
Building Local Capacity and Career Pathways
Nufable stressed the importance of aligning local capacity with the industry’s goals. With an original target of attracting 20 to 30 major healthcare-focused business process outsourcing (BPO) firms, she said the focus now lies in advocacy and career-path promotion to build a sustainable pipeline of talent.
As a major step forward, the conference featured the signing of a memorandum of understanding between key education and industry institutions, including the Department of Education Region 6, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), National ICT Confederation of the Philippines, and HIMAP. The agreement aims to develop educational programmes and courses aligned with the needs of the HIMS industry.
A Blueprint for Regional Transformation
As demand for healthcare tech services continues to grow globally, Western Visayas appears well-positioned to seize the opportunity. With strategic partnerships, a rich talent pool, and a growing ecosystem of support, the region’s vision of becoming the global capital for healthcare information management may not be far off.
As Nufable concluded, “This gathering represents not just an industry milestone but a blueprint for transforming Western Visayas into a beacon of innovation, economic resilience, and inclusive growth.”
