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Singapore’s Singtel Group is deepening its investment in the Philippine technology sector through NCS Philippines, a ₱1.87 billion joint venture between its technology services subsidiary NCS and Globe Telecom’s IT arm Yondu. The venture has grown from a 150-person boutique team to a 1,200-strong workforce in under two years, positioning the country as a regional delivery hub for AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, data analytics, and software engineering services. The expansion, announced during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s working visit to Singapore on July 15, 2026, reflects a broader trend: the Philippine IT services sector is growing at 8.7% annually — faster than the Asia Pacific average of 6.2% — and multinational technology companies are betting that the country’s talent pool can support higher-value work beyond traditional BPO call centers.
Key Takeaway
- 💰 ₱1.87 billion investment: Singtel’s NCS Philippines joint venture with Globe’s Yondu has an enterprise value of ₱1.87 billion ($30 million), with NCS acquiring a 51% majority stake. The workforce has grown from 150 to 1,200 professionals in under two years.
- 🔧 Five service domains: NCS Philippines operates in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, data analytics, and software engineering — all higher-value IT services that pay more than traditional BPO voice support roles.
- 📈 Philippine IT services growing at 8.7% CAGR: According to IDC, the Philippines IT services market is outpacing the Asia Pacific average of 6.2% — the fastest-growing IT services market in the region.
- 🏢 90,573 Filipinos employed in computer programming: PSA data shows computer programming, consultancy, and related activities account for 33.1% of all IT establishments and 52.5% of sector employment — the largest segment of the Philippine IT industry.
- 📋 Policy tailwinds: CREATE MORE Act The Philippine government cited the CREATE MORE Act, Strategic Investment Priority Plan, and Konektadong Pinoy Act as frameworks designed to attract further technology infrastructure investment from companies like Singtel.
The Singtel-Globe Joint Venture Explained
The NCS Philippines joint venture was first announced on March 27, 2025, when NCS — Singtel’s technology services subsidiary — disclosed that its wholly owned subsidiary NCSI Holdings would acquire a 51% majority stake in Yondu, Globe Telecom’s IT solutions arm. The transaction structure is notable: NCS paid a total net consideration of ₱134 million (approximately S$3 million), but that figure is net of the ₱818 million that Yondu used to acquire NCS’ existing Philippine subsidiary, NCSI Philippines. The post-transaction enterprise value of the combined entity is ₱1.87 billion ($30 million).
The deal closed and NCS Philippines was formally established, combining Yondu’s 20 years of Philippine market experience in custom software development, managed security services, eCommerce solutions, and cloud platforms with NCS’ global delivery capabilities across 15,000 professionals in the Asia Pacific. Singtel, which already holds a stake in Globe Telecom as one of its principal shareholders alongside Ayala Corporation, deepened its Philippine commitment through this technology services expansion rather than a pure telecommunications play.
On July 15, 2026, during a working visit to Singapore, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met with Singtel Group CEO Yuen Kuan Moon, Globe Telecom CEO Carl Cruz, and Ayala Corp. vice chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala to discuss the expansion. The meeting was part of a broader push by the Philippine government to attract foreign technology investment. DTI Secretary Cristina Roque stated: “We highly value Singtel’s continued trust and investment in the Philippines. The growth of NCS Philippines from a boutique team to a 1,200-strong tech workforce is a prime example of how international partnerships can create high-value, quality jobs for our IT professionals.”
From 150 to 1,200: The Workforce Expansion
The most concrete metric of NCS Philippines’ growth is its workforce: from 150 professionals at the time of the joint venture announcement to more than 1,200 today. That is an eightfold increase in approximately 16 months, representing one of the fastest technology workforce scale-ups in the Philippines in recent years.
This growth matters because it represents a shift in the type of technology jobs being created in the Philippines. Traditional BPO employment centers on voice-based customer service, data entry, and back-office processing — roles that pay entry-level wages and are increasingly exposed to AI automation. NCS Philippines jobs are in AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, data analytics, and software engineering — categories that command significantly higher compensation.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2024 Annual Survey of Philippine Business and Industry, the information and communication sector employed 172,389 workers across 2,454 establishments, with total compensation reaching ₱183.87 billion. Average annual compensation in the sector was ₱1.07 million per employee — but this average masks significant variation. Software publishing recorded the highest average annual compensation at ₱2.42 million per employee, reflecting the premium paid for specialized software engineering skills.
NCS Philippines’ 1,200-strong workforce adds meaningfully to this sector. If those 1,200 professionals earn at the sector average of ₱1.07 million annually, NCS Philippines alone contributes approximately ₱1.28 billion in annual compensation to the Philippine IT sector — a figure that likely understates the actual payroll given the company’s focus on higher-value AI and cybersecurity roles.
What NCS Philippines Actually Does
NCS Philippines operates across five technology domains: artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, data analytics, and software engineering. These are not BPO support functions — they are enterprise-grade technology services delivered to regional and global clients through NCS’ Global Delivery Network.
NCS itself is in the midst of a strategic transformation. In 2025, the company launched Sunshine.AI, its sovereign enterprise AI platform, and announced a S$130 million AI transformation initiative across Asia Pacific focused on what it calls “intelligentisation” — embedding AI capabilities into client operations. NCS CEO Ng Kuo Pin described the company’s positioning: “This joint venture marks a significant milestone in our APAC growth journey as we continue to invest to meet the region’s growing demand for technology services, in particular, AI-led solutions.”
The Philippine operation is positioned as a delivery hub within this network. This means NCS Philippines does not just serve Philippine clients — it serves NCS’ global client base across the Asia Pacific, using Filipino talent to deliver AI, cloud, and cybersecurity services to enterprises in Singapore, Australia, and other markets. This is the higher-value export model that the Philippine government has been trying to build: not just foreign companies hiring Filipinos to answer phones, but foreign companies hiring Filipinos to build and manage technology systems.
The cybersecurity capability is particularly significant. NCS has partnerships with Mandiant, Dell Technologies, and Visa for AI and cybersecurity services. Yondu, the Globe subsidiary that became NCS Philippines, already offered managed security services before the joint venture. The combination gives NCS Philippines a cybersecurity service line that aligns with the growing demand for Philippine cybersecurity professionals — a market projected at $282.68 million by 2026 with a workforce gap exceeding 33,000 professionals.
The Philippine IT Services Growth Story
NCS Philippines’ expansion is happening against a backdrop of rapid growth in the Philippine IT services sector. According to IDC data cited in NCS’ own announcement, the Philippines IT services market is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8.7% from 2024 to 2028 — significantly faster than the Asia Pacific average of 6.2%. This makes the Philippines the fastest-growing IT services market in the region.
The Philippine Statistics Agency provides granular data on this growth. The 2024 Annual Survey of Philippine Business and Industry found that the number of information and communication establishments rose 8.8% to 2,454 from 2,256 in 2022. Computer programming, consultancy, and related activities accounted for the largest share — 812 establishments or 33.1% of the sector. Employment in this sub-sector reached 90,573 workers, representing 52.5% of total IT sector employment.
| Metric | 2022 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| IT Establishments | 2,256 | 2,454 | +8.8% |
| IT Sector Employment | 169,331 | 172,389 | +1.8% |
| Total Compensation | — | ₱183.87B | — |
| Avg. Annual Compensation | ₱974,100 | ₱1.07M | +9.7% |
| Computer Programming Establishments | — | 812 (33.1%) | Largest segment |
Two trends stand out. First, the number of establishments is growing much faster than employment — 8.8% versus 1.8% — suggesting that many new IT firms are small, specialized operations rather than large employers. Second, average annual compensation grew 9.7%, significantly outpacing inflation, indicating real wage growth in the sector driven by demand for specialized skills.
The geographic concentration is also notable. Metro Manila accounted for 1,081 establishments (44.1%) and 136,262 workers (79%) of the total IT sector. Central Visayas had 219 establishments and 13,349 workers, while Calabarzon recorded 174 establishments and 5,455 workers. This concentration means that NCS Philippines’ workforce, while based in Metro Manila, is contributing to a sector that remains heavily centralized — a pattern that the government’s Digital Cities 2025 program aims to change.
Why Singtel Chose the Philippines
Several factors explain why Singtel chose the Philippines as its regional delivery hub over competing locations like Vietnam, Indonesia, or Malaysia.
Existing relationship with Globe: Singtel is already a principal shareholder of Globe Telecom alongside Ayala Corporation. The NCS-Yondu joint venture builds on an existing investment relationship, reducing the risk and complexity of entering a new market. Globe CEO Ernest Cu noted at the time of the deal: “Information Technology is the bedrock on which industries are built on. Partnering with NCS will unlock new global opportunities, enabling Yondu to expand its reach and deliver more impactful IT solutions worldwide.”
English-language proficiency: The Philippines remains the largest English-speaking workforce in Southeast Asia, a critical advantage for technology services delivered to global clients in Singapore, Australia, and the United States. While Vietnam and Indonesia have lower labor costs, the language barrier limits their ability to serve English-speaking markets for high-value consulting and client-facing roles.
Cost advantage relative to Singapore: NCS is headquartered in Singapore, where technology talent is among the most expensive in the world. Philippine IT professionals earn significantly less than their Singapore counterparts while delivering comparable quality for mid-tier technology work. The wage arbitrage is the economic foundation of the delivery hub model — Filipino professionals do the work, NCS bills global clients at Singapore rates, and the margin funds further expansion.
Growing AI and cloud capabilities: The Philippines has 86% AI adoption among knowledge workers — one of the highest rates in the world — and a rapidly evolving AI career landscape with 72% of Philippine employers now requiring AI knowledge as a hiring benchmark. NCS’ focus on “AI-led solutions” aligns directly with the Philippine workforce’s demonstrated readiness to adopt AI tools.
Policy Tailwinds: CREATE MORE and Digital Infrastructure
The Philippine government has positioned NCS Philippines’ expansion as evidence that its investment incentive frameworks are working. DTI Secretary Roque specifically cited three policy instruments as enablers of the investment.
The CREATE MORE Act (Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy), enacted in November 2024, provides enhanced tax incentives for IT-BPM and manufacturing sectors, including 4 to 7 years of income tax holiday, VAT exemption on importation, and VAT zero-rating on local purchases. Businesses with investments exceeding ₱15 billion can enjoy tax incentives for up to 24 or 27 years. The law also clarifies VAT rules for IT-BPM companies and mandates government adoption of the Ease of Doing Business Act timeline for incentive applications.
The Strategic Investment Priority Plan defines which sectors and activities qualify for tax incentives under CREATE MORE, with technology services and digital infrastructure explicitly included as priority areas. The Konektadong Pinoy Act focuses on expanding digital connectivity infrastructure, which is a prerequisite for technology service delivery — without reliable broadband and internet connectivity, a delivery hub model cannot function.
However, the pending global minimum tax implementation could complicate this picture. The BIR and DOF have begun drafting legislation for a 15% qualified domestic minimum top-up tax on multinationals with annual revenues of €750 million or more. Singtel, with group revenues exceeding S$14 billion, would fall under this threshold. The QDMTT could reduce the effectiveness of CREATE MORE tax incentives for large multinationals — a risk that the Philippine government has acknowledged but argues is outweighed by the benefit of collecting taxes domestically rather than ceding them to other jurisdictions.
What This Means for Filipino IT Professionals
The expansion creates concrete opportunities for Filipino IT professionals across five skill domains, each with distinct career implications.
Artificial intelligence: NCS is positioning itself as an “AI-led tech services company” with its Sunshine.AI platform and S$130 million AI transformation initiative. Filipino professionals with AI model development, AI tool oversight, and security automation skills are directly employable by the company. The partnership with AI Singapore for generative AI research also creates pathways for Filipino professionals to participate in regional AI projects.
Cloud computing: Cloud migration and cloud-native development are core NCS services. Professionals with AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud certifications are in demand. The Philippine IT sector’s 8.7% CAGR is partly driven by cloud adoption, and the delivery hub model means Filipino cloud engineers are building infrastructure for clients across the region, not just domestic accounts.
Cybersecurity: NCS’ partnerships with Mandiant and Visa for cybersecurity services create direct demand for Filipino security professionals. With the Philippine cybersecurity workforce gap exceeding 33,000 professionals and CISSP holders earning ₱95,000/month, NCS Philippines represents a employer that pays for specialized security talent and offers career progression within a global organization.
Data analytics and software engineering: These are the foundational services that Yondu has offered for 20 years. The joint venture with NCS brings global delivery standards, larger client engagements, and access to proprietary platforms. Software publishing recorded the highest average annual compensation in the Philippine IT sector at ₱2.42 million per employee — a benchmark for what specialized software engineers can earn.
The career implication: The company is not hiring for call center roles. It is hiring for the higher-value technology positions that the Philippine IT-BPM industry is pivoting toward as AI automates routine work. Filipino professionals who develop skills in these five domains will be positioned for the jobs that the joint venture and companies like it are creating — jobs that pay more, are less exposed to AI displacement, and offer regional career mobility within Singtel’s Asia Pacific network.
Frequently Asked Questions About NCS Philippines
What is NCS Philippines?
The joint venture between NCS (Singtel’s technology services subsidiary) and Yondu (Globe Telecom’s IT solutions arm) resulted in NCS acquiring a 51% majority stake through its subsidiary NCSI Holdings. The combined entity has an enterprise value of ₱1.87 billion ($30 million) and operates as a regional delivery hub for AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, data analytics, and software engineering services.
How many people does NCS Philippines employ?
The company has grown from 150 professionals at the time of the joint venture announcement in March 2025 to more than 1,200 professionals as of July 2026 — an eightfold increase in approximately 16 months. The workforce operates across AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, data analytics, and software engineering.
What is the financial structure of the Singtel-Globe joint venture?
NCS, through NCSI Holdings, acquired a 51% stake in Yondu for a total net consideration of ₱134 million (approximately S$3 million). This figure is net of the ₱818 million that Yondu used to acquire NCS’ existing Philippine subsidiary, NCSI Philippines. The post-transaction enterprise value of the combined entity is ₱1.87 billion (approximately $30 million or S$44 million). The transaction was funded using NCS’ cash and internal resources.
What services does NCS Philippines offer?
The joint venture delivers five core service categories: artificial intelligence (including NCS’ Sunshine.AI platform), cloud computing (migration and cloud-native development), cybersecurity (managed security services through partnerships with Mandiant and Visa), data analytics, and software engineering (custom software development, eCommerce solutions, and ready-to-use platforms). These services are delivered to NCS’ global client base across the Asia Pacific, not exclusively to Philippine clients.
How fast is the Philippine IT services sector growing?
According to IDC, the Philippine IT services market is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8.7% from 2024 to 2028 — the fastest in Asia Pacific, compared to the regional average of 6.2%. PSA data shows the information and communication sector had 2,454 establishments and 172,389 workers in 2024, with total compensation of ₱183.87 billion and average annual compensation of ₱1.07 million per employee.
What is the CREATE MORE Act and how does it help technology investment?
The CREATE MORE Act, enacted in November 2024, provides enhanced tax incentives for IT-BPM and manufacturing sectors, including 4 to 7 years of income tax holiday, VAT exemption on importation, and VAT zero-rating on local purchases. Businesses with investments over ₱15 billion can receive incentives for up to 24 or 27 years. The DTI cited CREATE MORE as a key policy framework enabling Singtel’s NCS Philippines investment.
What skills should Filipino professionals develop to work at NCS Philippines?
Filipino professionals should focus on the five domains the joint venture operates in: AI (including model development and AI tool oversight), cloud computing (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud certifications), cybersecurity (CISSP, CEH, OSCP), data analytics, and software engineering. Average compensation in software publishing reached ₱2.42 million annually in the Philippine IT sector — a benchmark for specialized roles. NCS Philippines hires for regional delivery roles, meaning professionals may work on projects for clients in Singapore, Australia, and other Asia Pacific markets.
