Cebu’s IT and business-process management (IT-BPM) industry is a real source of renters, but the size of that workforce is often overstated, and a large workforce does not by itself make a condo a good rental investment. The best-sourced figure is national — 1.9 million IT-BPM workers in the Philippines in 2025, according to the industry association IBPAP — and the Cebu figures in circulation, from about 160,000 to over 500,000, describe different areas and rarely state a method. The trade-off for investors: units near IT Park and Cebu Business Park do ask higher rents, but they also cost more to buy and compete with many similar listings, so yields can be modest.
Key points
- Nationally, IBPAP reported 1.9 million IT-BPM workers in 2025 and projects 1.96 million for 2026, but it cut its 2028 outlook in July 2026 because of AI and global competition.
- There is no official Cebu count. A 15% share quoted by an industry leader implies roughly 285,000; treat it as an estimate, not a census.
- In July 2026, IT Park condo listings asked more than the Cebu City average — a median of ₱27,000 for a one-bedroom against ₱23,000 city-wide.
- On our stated assumptions, a ₱5 million IT Park studio renting at ₱20,000 a month yields about 4.3% gross and 2.8% net on total cost.
How many IT-BPM workers are there in Cebu?
We could not find an official count of IT-BPM employment for Cebu City, Metro Cebu or Central Visayas from the PSA, DICT or PEZA. What is available is a national industry estimate from IBPAP and a handful of Cebu figures quoted in news and trade-press reports. Earlier versions of two of our own articles used very different numbers — “well over 500,000” for the metro area and “200,000+” for the main office districts — without saying where they came from. The table sets out what each kind of figure actually describes.
| Figure | Area and date as described | Source | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.9 million | Philippines, 2025 | IBPAP, reported January 2026 | National industry headcount; the most consistent series available. |
| About 15% of the industry | “Cebu” (area not defined), 2025 | Contact-centre industry chair, quoted in trade press | Applied to 1.9 million, implies roughly 285,000 — an implied estimate, not a count. |
| About 160,000; 396,000; nearly 400,000 | Variously “Cebu”, “the island” and “the Visayas”, 2024–2025 | News and trade-press reports without a stated method | The areas conflict, so none can be used as a Cebu total. |
| “Well over 500,000” | “Metro area” | None (earlier version of this article) | Withdrawn. It would be about 26% of national headcount, well above the 15% share quoted by the industry. |
| “200,000+” | IT Park, Cebu Business Park and Lahug | None (earlier version of our rental guide) | Withdrawn for lack of a source, although it is in the same range as the implied estimate. |
Headcount figures may count full-time equivalents (FTEs) and include workers in offices outside the main business districts or working from home. None of these figures tells you how many workers rent a condo.
What the national outlook says
IBPAP reported that export revenues grew about 5% to over US$40 billion in 2025 and headcount about 4% to 1.9 million. In July 2026 it published a revised roadmap projecting US$42.3 billion and 1.96 million full-time employees for 2026, and it lowered its 2028 forecast from 2.5 million workers to a range of 1.85 million (downside) to 2.14 million (best case), citing rapid AI adoption, slower decisions by overseas clients and competition from other outsourcing locations. For a landlord, the message is that employment may keep growing slowly, but a falling headcount is within the industry’s own range of scenarios.
What this means for rental demand near the office districts
IT-BPM employers are concentrated in a few office districts, notably Cebu IT Park and Cebu Business Park. Much of the work serves clients in other time zones, so many employees work night or rotating shifts, which makes a short, predictable commute valuable to some tenants. That supports demand for small units close to these districts, but it does not guarantee occupancy for any particular unit: many employees live with family, share housing or rent cheaper rooms further out.
The evidence we can see is in asking rents. Among Rent.ph listings captured on 21 July 2026, the 83 one-bedroom condo listings that named IT Park or a building inside it asked a median of ₱27,000 a month (middle half ₱22,000–₱35,500), compared with ₱23,000 for all 482 one-bedroom condo listings in Cebu City; the 29 IT Park studios asked a median of ₱20,000. These are asking rents, not signed leases, and the same data show the competition: dozens of IT Park units were advertised on a single portal on a single day. Our neighbourhood comparison sets out the figures for other districts.
A worked yield example near IT Park
A 22 sqm studio in Avida Towers Riala, inside Cebu IT Park, is listed from ₱5,000,000 on our project page as of 3 October 2026 (developer price lists change; ask for a current dated computation). We assume 7% for taxes, fees and other charges on top of the price, ₱250,000 to furnish, and a rent of ₱20,000 a month — the median asking rent for IT Park studios in July 2026.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| List price | ₱5,000,000 |
| Taxes, fees and other charges (assumed 7%) | ₱350,000 |
| Furnishing (assumed) | ₱250,000 |
| Total acquisition cost | ₱5,600,000 |
| Annual rent at ₱20,000 × 12 | ₱240,000 |
| Gross yield (annual rent ÷ total acquisition cost) | 4.29% |
| Less one month vacancy | −₱20,000 |
| Less association dues (₱100/sqm/month assumed) | −₱26,400 |
| Less real property tax and insurance (assumed) | −₱15,000 |
| Less leasing or management fees (one month assumed) | −₱20,000 |
| Net operating income | ₱158,600 |
| Net operating yield (net operating income ÷ total acquisition cost) | 2.83% |
Before income tax on the rent and before any loan payments. On the list price alone, the gross yield would be 4.8%, which is why yields quoted without costs look better than they are.
The example is sensitive to the rent you can actually achieve and to the months a unit sits empty. Run it with a lower rent and two vacant months before committing; our rental-yield guide walks through each line.
Projects inside the main office districts
These projects are inside IT Park or Cebu Business Park according to their developers. Prices are developer list prices recorded on our project pages as of 3 October 2026; we do not know whether parking or other charges are included, and availability changes.
Checks before buying to rent to office workers
- Count the comparable units listed in the same building and nearby, and note how long they stay listed.
- Use a rent you have seen achieved or repeatedly asked for comparable units, not the highest listing.
- Price the full acquisition cost, including other charges, furnishing and the months before your first tenant.
- Check building rules on leasing, tenant registration and short stays before you buy.
- For a pre-selling unit, remember the rent you can charge is the rent at turnover, years from now.
Frequently asked questions
How many people work in IT-BPM in Cebu?
There is no single official count. The industry association IBPAP put national IT-BPM headcount at 1.9 million in 2025. A contact-centre industry leader was quoted in 2025 as saying Cebu accounts for about 15% of the national workforce, which would imply roughly 285,000 people — but that is an implied figure, and the area meant by “Cebu” was not defined. Other reports give figures from about 160,000 to about 400,000 for differently described areas.
Is a condo near IT Park a safe rental investment?
No investment is assured. Asking rents near IT Park are higher than the Cebu City average, but so are purchase prices, and dozens of competing units are listed at any time. In our worked example, a ₱5 million studio renting at ₱20,000 a month gives a gross yield of about 4.3% on total cost and about 2.8% after vacancy, dues, tax and fees — before income tax and financing.
Will AI reduce BPO jobs in Cebu?
It may slow growth. In July 2026 IBPAP cut its 2028 national forecast from 2.5 million workers to a range of 1.85–2.14 million, citing AI adoption, slower buyer decisions and competing outsourcing locations. The low end is below its 2026 projection of 1.96 million, so landlords should not assume ever-rising tenant numbers.
Should a BPO employee buy a condo instead of renting?
Compare the full monthly cost of owning — amortization, association dues, insurance and maintenance, plus the cash needed for the down payment and closing costs — with your rent, and consider how likely you are to change employer or location. Our rent vs buy calculator lets you test this on your own numbers.
Test a specific unit before you buy it to rent out
Send us the project and unit. We will prepare a dated computation of the total acquisition cost, pull current asking rents for comparable units in the same area, and show gross and net yield on your assumptions.
Request a yield check WhatsApp +63 917 550 8229Sources and notes
- BusinessWorld — IBPAP cautiously optimistic for IT-BPM sector in 2026 (29 January 2026) — IBPAP: 2025 export revenue over US$40 billion (+5%), headcount 1.9 million (+4%), Philippines
- BusinessWorld — AI, global competition force Philippines’ IT-BPM industry to cut targets (15 July 2026) — IBPAP revised roadmap: 2026 projection US$42.3 billion and 1.96 million FTEs; 2028 downside 1.85 million, best case 2.14 million, versus the earlier 2.5 million target
- Outsource Accelerator — Cebu drives Philippine IT-BPM growth, employs 15% of sector workforce (5 June 2025, updated 2026) — trade-press report quoting the contact-centre association chair on Cebu’s ~15% share; also cites 160,000 and 396,000 FTE figures with unclear geographic scope and no method
- SunStar Cebu — Cebu solidifies lead in IT-BPM boom — cites over 160,000 FTEs “out of the 396,000 FTEs on the island” and nearly 400,000 in the Visayas, without attribution
- Rent.ph — Cebu rental listings, captured 21 July 2026 — asking rents for condo listings whose title or location names Cebu IT Park (29 studios, 83 one-bedroom) versus all Cebu City condo listings; duplicates removed; asking, not signed, rents
- Avida Land — Avida Towers Riala — inside Cebu IT Park; units 22.62–56.82 sqm; listed by the developer as ready for occupancy (as checked 5 October 2026 for our district guides)
- Worked example — the ₱5,000,000 price is the studio from-price on our Avida Towers Riala page as of 3 October 2026; closing costs (7%), furnishing (₱250,000), dues (₱100/sqm/month), vacancy (one month), real property tax and insurance (₱15,000/year) and leasing fees (one month) are assumptions