Salesforce has announced its expansion into the Philippines, opening an office in Manila and outlining plans to support the country’s business community through technology and training initiatives. The company aims to bolster the local artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem and provide skills development for Filipino workers in customer relationship management (CRM) and AI over the coming years.
Local office
The new office will be based in Manila’s Ayala Triangle Gardens, Tower 2. This move brings the company’s team closer to customers and partners in the region. It enables it to tap into local talent. Salesforce has appointed Abraham Cuevas as Regional Vice President and Country Manager to lead its operations in the Philippines.
Workforce training
Salesforce is committed to equipping 12,000 Filipino workers with CRM and AI skills over the next five years. The company has already supported more than 53,000 Filipino learners using its ongoing training programmes. Training is delivered via Salesforce’s Trailhead platform, which offers free, self-paced online learning, and through collaborations with local educational institutions and workforce partners, including Asia Pacific College, Bulacan State University, National University, Ayala Foundation and Smartbridge. The firm also supports a local Trailblazer community of over 1,500 members.
AI language support
Agentforce for Service and Employee Agent, two key Salesforce applications, are now available in Tagalog. This development is designed to help local businesses accelerate their digital transformation and enhance customer experiences by making AI-enabled tools more accessible to Tagalog speakers.
Business adoption
Several notable Philippine enterprises already use Salesforce’s CRM and AI technologies. This includes companies such as Ayala Land, Bank of the Philippine Islands, Meralco, Philippine Airlines, and PLDT, which deploy Salesforce to improve customer experience and operational efficiency and to unlock new revenue streams.
Converge ICT Solutions has been among the early adopters of Salesforce’s transformation platform. The company has built a comprehensive customer view to support its sales, service, and marketing teams. It is currently establishing one of the first generative AI contact centres in the country, aiming to improve efficiency by 30%.
Partner ecosystem
Salesforce operates through an ecosystem of partners within the Philippines, including Accenture, Appistoki (Novare Group), Ascendion, Deloitte, and ValueHub. These firms expand the use of Salesforce’s platform in the local market by building applications and AI agents for various use cases and by offering industry-specific expertise to customers adopting Salesforce solutions.
Local economic impact
AI is expected to make a significant contribution to the Philippines’ economy, potentially generating up to PHP 2.8 trillion (USD $50.7 billion) in productivity and cost benefits by 2030. The transition to AI-powered operations is seen as a means for the local economy to move towards higher-value, knowledge-driven activities.
“Artificial Intelligence is not just a trend but a powerful economic accelerator. It will unlock new innovations, sharpen efficiencies, and create opportunities for every sector. With Salesforce strengthening its presence in the Philippines, our businesses gain easier access to world-class AI and CRM solutions. This means Filipino enterprises can adopt technology with confidence, compete on a larger stage, and take their place in the global digital economy,” said Secretary Henry R. Aguda, Department of Information and Communications Technology.
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