Salesforce Partners With Philippine Firms to Grow AI Ecosystem

TLDRs:

• Salesforce opens Manila office to expand AI ecosystem and support local businesses.
• Tagalog-enabled Agentforce boosts adoption among mid-market Filipino firms.
• Company plans to train 12,000 Filipinos in AI and CRM skills.
• Partnerships with BPI, Ayala Land, and Deloitte strengthen platform reach.

Salesforce, the US-based artificial intelligence (AI) and customer relationship management (CRM) leader, is intensifying its expansion in the Philippines by opening a new office in Manila’s Ayala Triangle Gardens.

The move is designed to bring the company closer to its local customers and partners while driving the growth of the country’s AI ecosystem.

Bringing AI Closer to Businesses

The Manila office signals Salesforce’s commitment to the Philippines as a key market in Southeast Asia.

By establishing a physical presence in the heart of the city’s business district, the company aims to deepen engagement with major Philippine firms and extend its platform’s adoption across industries.

Local businesses, including Ayala Land, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), Meralco, and Philippine Airlines, will benefit from closer collaboration with Salesforce’s team.

Training 12,000 Filipinos in AI

As part of its local expansion, Salesforce announced an ambitious plan to train 12,000 Filipinos over the next five years in AI and CRM-related skills.

Leveraging its Trailhead platform and partnerships with educational organizations, the company intends to equip the workforce with the knowledge required for a rapidly evolving digital economy. While the training goal is substantial, roughly 2,400 people per year, the immediate hiring impact in Manila appears limited, with only a few local sales roles currently listed.

Local Language Support Boosts Adoption

Salesforce’s Agentforce platform, now available in Tagalog, is expected to unlock opportunities among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMBs) that have previously avoided English-only tools.

This enhancement allows local system integrators and IT consultancies to implement Salesforce solutions tailored to Filipino companies, bridging a critical language gap.

Regional expansion could follow in nearby markets such as Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand over the next 12 to 18 months, provided adoption gains traction.

Beyond its own initiatives, Salesforce continues to leverage global and local partnerships to expand its reach in the Philippines. Collaborations with multinational consulting firms such as Accenture and Deloitte complement engagements with major domestic companies, enhancing platform deployment and post-sales support. While large enterprises remain the primary focus, the new Tagalog capabilities create opportunities for smaller local partners to serve mid-market clients more effectively.

Implications for the Philippine Market

The Manila expansion highlights a measured approach, positioning the Philippines as a growing hub within Salesforce’s broader Asia-Pacific strategy.

Compared with regions like Latin America and India, where hiring covers engineering and customer success roles, Manila’s current focus remains concentrated on sales and business engagement. Nevertheless, the combination of training initiatives, local language support, and strategic partnerships is expected to gradually stimulate adoption across the country’s AI ecosystem.

Salesforce’s push into the Philippines underscores a broader trend of international technology firms investing in localized growth while nurturing regional talent. By balancing enterprise engagement with workforce development, the company aims to strengthen its footprint and contribute meaningfully to the nation’s digital transformation.

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