THE hybrid work setup for information technology-business process management (IT-BPM) workers is here to stay, an industry leader said.

Darwin John Moises, chief executive of eXPerience Plus Inc. and chairman of the 2022 Transformation Summit, noted that the industry is “leaning towards the hybrid setup” which includes both remote and office settings.

“We will never go back to the old model. There are functions that we can do from home. We have to leverage on what we’ve learned from the pandemic and make the most out of it,” he said during a press conference on Wednesday to launch the upcoming Transformation Summit on July 13-15.

Citing assurance from the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), Moises said that while the government has ordered outsourcing firms to return to office operations, it is also supportive of adopting a hybrid work setup for the industry.

He said talks with the government on this matter have been ongoing.

He said the government seems to be in favor and open to the industry’s clamor of adopting flexible work arrangements for IT-BPM employees.

In an earlier statement, IBPAP stood by its position on work-from-home (WFH)/hybrid work setup, and it said there’s legal basis of the letters of authority granted by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority to allow 30 percent WFH arrangement until Sept. 12, 2022.

This has enabled companies to accommodate the strong preferences of their employees and execute a smooth, phased return to on-site operations in the immediate term before a permanent WFH/hybrid work policy is established.