Salesforce lands in Manila with major AI skills push, new agentic enterprise vision

Salesforce has officially expanded into the Philippines, opening a new office in Metro Manila and unveiling a multi-year plan to supercharge the country’s shift into an agentic AI-powered economy. The move signals the CRM giant’s deepening commitment to the market as Filipino businesses accelerate digital transformation and prepare for the next era of AI-driven work.

The expansion places Salesforce at the heart of Manila’s Ayala Triangle Gardens, Tower 2 - bringing teams closer to key customers, partners, and talent pools. The Philippines strategy will be led by Abraham Cuevas, regional vice president and country manager.

“The Philippines is a dynamic and incredibly important market for Salesforce, and our expansion here underscores our deep commitment to supporting the country’s digital transformation journey. With our new office in the Philippines, we are better positioned to empower Filipino businesses to transform into agentic enterprises while also supporting the local ecosystem by equipping Filipino workers with the critical AI skills needed for the future economy,” Cuevas said.

Don't miss: Tech titan Salesforce enters the Philippines

The announcement lands at a pivotal juncture. AI is projected to deliver productivity and cost benefits worth 2.8 trillion pesos (US$50.7 billion) to the Philippines by 2030. With the country poised to evolve from a service-led to a knowledge-driven economy, the arrival of a global AI leader strengthens the local innovation ecosystem.

Secretary Cristina A. Roque of the department of trade and industry welcomed Salesforce’s entry, stating: “Salesforce’s expansion is a strong boost to our digital economy. Opening a new office in Manila affirms the Philippines’ position as a growing hub for technology and innovation. Their pledge to train 12,000 Filipinos in AI and CRM skills supports our goal of building a future-ready workforce and helps our businesses stay competitive in the fast-advancing digital landscape.”

Agentic enterprises take centre stage

Salesforce’s Philippines strategy centres on helping organisations transition into agentic enterprises - a model where AI elevates human capability rather than replaces it. The company’s Agentforce 360 platform integrates apps, data, metadata, and AI agents to deliver intelligence, speed, and efficiency across every customer-facing function.

In a milestone tailored for the local market, Agentforce for Service and Employee Agent is now available in Tagalog, allowing companies to embed native-language AI capabilities into service, operations, and workplace support. Salesforce positions this as critical to scaling customer experience transformation in the Philippines.

The company already counts some of the Philippines’ most established organisations as customers, including Ayala Land, Bank of the Philippine Islands, Meralco, Philippine Airlines, PLDT, and Maxicare, which leverages Agentforce to automate dental LOA requests.

Converge ICT Solutions is among the early adopters transforming its operations with Salesforce’s AI stack. The technology company is building one of the Philippines’ first generative AI contact centres and expects to lift efficiency by 30%.

“Our collaboration with Salesforce has been fundamental to our mission to deliver fast and frictionless service, especially now as we transform from a traditional telco to a full-fledged technology company. By unifying our systems and deploying AI, we’ve empowered our teams to be more productive and respond to customers faster. We look forward to continuing our transformation journey with Salesforce as the company deepens its commitment to the Philippines,” Eugene Yeo, chief executive advisor at Converge, said.

“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,” secretary Henry R. Aguda of the department of information and communications technology added.

Investing in talent and community impact

A cornerstone of the expansion is Salesforce’s pledge to upskill 12,000 Filipino workers in AI and CRM capabilities over the next five years. The company has already trained more than 53,000 Filipino learners through its free learning platform, Trailhead, in collaboration with academic and workforce development partners including Asia Pacific College, Bulacan State University, National University (Fairview and Laguna campuses), Ayala Foundation, and Smartbridge.

The company also boasts a thriving local Trailblazer community of over 1,500 members, who regularly connect for peer learning, skill-building, and career development.

Salesforce’s expansion also extends its philanthropic footprint. Through its 1-1-1 model, the company dedicates 1% of its equity, employee time, and product to social impact. In the Philippines, this has included work with the DOST-Science and Technology Information Institute on the STARBOOKS programme, supporting 475 students in Mindoro and Bataan with equipment and digital learning resources.

Salesforce’s local partner ecosystem - featuring Accenture, Appistoki (Novare Group), Ascendion, Deloitte, and ValueHub - will play an essential role in accelerating adoption. These partners extend Salesforce’s open, extensible AI platform with industry-specific solutions, implementation expertise, and custom-built agents.

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