Canadian digital services firm Telus is looking to expand its Philippine operations in artificial intelligence (AI)-related services, healthcare support, software engineering, and workforce development, although the company has yet to announce a new investment amount or timeline for the planned growth.
The expansion plans were discussed during a July 3 meeting in Canada attended by Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) secretary Cristina Roque, Department of Finance (DOF) secretary Frederick Go, and Telus Digital Global vice president and general manager for AI and Data Amith Nair. The meeting was held as part of Marcos’ July 1 to 4 visit to Canada.
According to the DTI, Telus has invested more than $175.6 million in the Philippines since 2018. The company currently employs over 24,000 workers across nine sites in Metro Manila and Iloilo, supporting customer experience, technical support, financial services, back-office work, and AI-enabled services for global clients.
But while government officials presented the meeting as a sign of the Philippines’ growing role in higher-value digital work, the announcement stopped short of disclosing how much Telus intends to invest next, how many jobs could be created, or when the expansion in AI, healthcare support, and software engineering will take place.
Telus said future investment figures will depend on business operations, although it expects continued spending on facilities, technology, training, workforce development, and other capital requirements in the country.
Still, the company’s interest in expanding beyond traditional business process outsourcing work comes as the Philippine IT and business process management industry pushes deeper into AI, digital health, and other knowledge-intensive services.
“Telus has been with the Philippines for more than two decades, creating quality jobs for Filipino talent and helping move the country from traditional outsourcing to higher-value digital work. Its growth in AI, healthcare support, software engineering, and workforce development supports our goal of preparing Filipino workers for the next stage of the global services economy,” Roque said.
Go said the planned expansion also reflects the effect of the CREATE MORE law in drawing export-oriented service investments.
“This development shows that CREATE MORE is working as intended — helping attract export-oriented investments in both goods and services. We are pleased that Canadian companies like Telus continue to see the Philippines as a competitive investment destination and are choosing to expand their operations here,” Go said.
Roque said the company’s direction also tracks the broader shift in the local IT-BPM sector toward higher-value work. She cited industry projections showing the sector generated around $40 billion in revenues in 2025 and could reach $42 billion in 2026.
“The Philippines is ready for higher-value work. Through partners like Telus, we are building stronger pathways for Filipino workers to participate in AI-enabled services, digital health, software engineering, and other technology-driven industries,” Roque added.
Also present during the meeting were Philippine Ambassador to Canada Victor Chan-Gonzaga and Philippine Trade and Investment Center-Toronto trade commissioner Mario Tani.
