THE PHILIPPINES' accelerating digital transformation is expected to drive stronger demand for enterprise IT management and cybersecurity as organizations modernize operations while facing increasingly complex cyber threats, according to a regional technology executive.
Arun Kumar, regional vice president for Asia-Pacific at ManageEngine, said the Philippines has become one of the company's faster-growing markets in Southeast Asia, supported by the country's large IT-business process outsourcing industry, financial sector and expanding digital economy. Contrary to perceptions that the country's continued use of on-premise infrastructure reflects slow modernization, he said regulatory requirements surrounding data protection and data sovereignty have sustained demand alongside growing cloud adoption.
"The Philippines is actually one of the growing markets for us," Kumar said during a Philippine media roundtable held ahead of the Southeast Asia UserConf 2026 in Jakarta.
He said organizations are increasingly balancing cloud adoption with compliance requirements, particularly as businesses handle more sensitive customer and financial data.
The executive said the country's push toward digital transformation has also exposed organizations to greater cybersecurity risks. The rapid shift to hybrid work, cloud services and remote access following the Covid-19 pandemic has expanded the attack surface for cybercriminals, making cybersecurity a business priority rather than simply an IT concern.
According to Kumar, enterprise IT has evolved beyond its traditional support role.
"Ten years before, IT teams were just enablers," he said. Today, he added, virtually every enterprise has become a digital enterprise where technology directly influences customer experience, employee productivity and business growth. As organizations digitize more operations, IT departments are increasingly expected to deliver business outcomes while maintaining secure and resilient infrastructure.
That shift has also changed how companies approach cybersecurity.
Rather than deploying isolated security products, Kumar said organizations need integrated visibility across applications, identities, endpoints, cloud environments and on-premise systems to detect attacks before they spread throughout corporate networks.
He identified fragmented IT and security tools as one of the biggest challenges facing enterprises.
"The tools are very, very disjointed," Kumar said, explaining that organizations often struggle to identify early indicators of compromise because information remains scattered across multiple systems. A unified view of enterprise infrastructure, he said, enables security teams to respond more quickly and reduce the impact of cyberattacks.
Technology alone, however, is not enough.
Kumar said employees continue to represent one of the weakest links in cybersecurity despite investments in advanced security platforms. Organizations should continuously train workers to recognize phishing attempts, deepfakes, credential theft and other AI-assisted attacks while promoting stronger password management and access controls.
"Cybersecurity cannot be just looked at as an IT responsibility; it's everyone's responsibility," he said.
Artificial intelligence is expected to further reshape both enterprise operations and cybersecurity.
Kumar described AI as a "double-edged sword" that enables organizations to automate workflows and improve productivity while giving cybercriminals new tools to launch attacks at machine speed. As a result, he expects demand for cybersecurity professionals and AI specialists to continue growing across the region.
Instead of viewing AI as a replacement for workers, organizations should focus on reskilling employees and strengthening partnerships with academic institutions to prepare graduates for emerging technology roles, he said.
Kumar also cautioned organizations against rushing into agentic AI deployments without first establishing reliable digital foundations.
He said successful AI implementation depends on accurate enterprise data, integrated workflows and strong governance policies governing sensitive information. Organizations should also establish safeguards to ensure confidential data is protected when AI systems interact with third-party services.
"If you are missing these steps, then actually we are calling for trouble," Kumar said, noting that poor data quality and weak governance could undermine AI initiatives while increasing security risks.
On regulation, Kumar said the Philippines' data privacy framework is broadly comparable to those of other Asean countries. While reporting timelines, penalties and cross-border data transfer rules differ among jurisdictions, he said the core principles remain consistent and should serve as the foundation for organizations' cybersecurity programs.
Companies operating internationally may still need to comply with additional standards such as the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation, Australia's Essential Eight framework and sector-specific requirements covering finance and healthcare, he said.
Beyond strengthening enterprise security, ManageEngine is expanding its platform through a developer ecosystem that enables partners and customers to build applications, integrations and AI agents tailored to different industries. The initiative includes a marketplace for enterprise extensions intended to help organizations customize IT operations while maintaining governance and compliance standards.
Kumar said the company is also expanding its presence in Southeast Asia and plans to establish a larger operation in the Philippines after recent office openings in Malaysia and Vietnam. He said the Philippine market remains a priority as demand for cybersecurity, AI and enterprise IT management continues to grow.
