WESTERN VISAYAS – Industry leaders, government officials, private sector representatives and academic experts convened on June 28, 2024 to develop a comprehensive roadmap aimed at establishing Western Visayas as the Health Information Management Services (HIMS) Capital of the world and a seedbed for startups by 2028.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region VI led the strategic workshop, “HIMS Connect: Road to Becoming the Health Information Management Service Capital of the World,” at the Park Inn by Radisson Hotel in Iloilo City. This collaborative effort brought together key stakeholders to chart the course for the region’s HIMS sector growth and development. The event was participated by representatives from DICT, TESDA, DOLE, NEDA, DOST, Iloilo Province LEDIPO, Iloilo City LEDIPO, City Government of Bacolod, WVSU-MC, WVSU-BINHI, Riverside College, Iloilo Federation for ICT (IFIT), WNS, Sagility, San Jose Antique Council for IT, PCCI Iloilo, HIMAP, Medstar, and DTI provincial offices.

DTI Region VI Regional Director Rachel Nufable presented the initial Region VI HIMS Trade Promotion Gameplan which focused on three key areas: branding and promotions, talent development, and industry relations.

The workshop featured presentations from high-profile speakers, including DTI Undersecretary Dr. Rafaelita M. Aldaba, DTI Export Marketing Bureau Services Division Chief Maria Teresa Loring, Healthcare Information Management Association of the Philippines (HIMAP) Board Trustee Nora K. Terrado and Mr. Jonathan de Luzuriaga, CEO of Spring Valley Tech Corp and President of the Phil. Software Industry Association, highlighting the immense potential of the HIMS industry for regional economic growth and job creation.

In her keynote presentation on the Directions for the Philippines HIMS Industry, DTI Undersecretary Dr. Rafaelita Aldaba emphasized the potential of HIMS to drive Western Visayas’ economic growth. She stated that the sector could generate significant investments and high-quality jobs, citing Iloilo’s high-quality workforce, efficient connectivity to neighboring provinces, and robust local economy as key advantages.

“Iloilo is one of the key cities in the country leveraged for delivery of contact center and health information management services,” Usec Aldaba noted. She also presented new HIMS trends and developments, discussing the impact of emerging technologies and innovations on outsourcing and offshoring to the Philippines.

Participants were divided into groups, each tackling one of the three focus areas. Through intensive breakout sessions, each group identified gaps and challenges in their respective areas, and developed strategies, activities, and timelines to address them. They also outlined the resources needed and identified responsible agencies to lead the implementation of their proposed initiatives.

“This collaborative approach provides us with in a comprehensive and actionable roadmap,” said RD Nufable. “By addressing specific challenges in branding, capability building, and industry relations, we’ve laid a solid foundation for our goal of becoming the world’s HIMS capital.”

This initiative aligns with the national IT-BPM Industry Roadmap 2028, which projects significant growth in the healthcare services sector. The roadmap forecasts 285,000 jobs in healthcare by 2028, with annual revenue reaching US$6.7 billion.

As the workshop concludes, the stakeholders express optimism about Western Visayas’ potential to become a global leader in HIMS, citing the region’s strong educational institutions and growing IT-BPM sector as key advantages. The detailed strategies and action plans developed during this workshop will serve as a guide for the region’s HIMS sector development in the coming years. ♦

Date of release: 05 August 2024

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