P-Noy approves P500-M fund to boost dev't of BPO sector

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino has announced the approval of a P500-million fund intended for the development of the information technology-business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) sector, as the country prepares for the growing global demand.

 “I have recently approved an additional P500 million under our stimulus package for training program to be undertaken by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in partnership with your industry (IT-BPO),” he said. 

Aquino made the disclosure in a speech Wednesday evening before the participants of the Third Annual International Outsourcing Summit held at Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Manila.

 “We’re doing all of this to match the confidence you displayed in our country and this way, as you’ve chosen the Philippines, so too are we choosing to invest in our people - to add to the arsenal of skills and qualities they already posses in order to have a globally competitive and empowered workforce,” Aquino added.

The government and the industry are both focused on finding solutions as they build the capacity of the people to be competitive, to help them increase their chances of being employed in good jobs.

With the new employment being created in the industry it also helps people meet their needs - food, shelter, education and health care, thus improving their lives, the President said, adding that so far the industry has already employed some 500,000.

The president thanked the Business Process Association of the Philippines (BPAP) and the industry stakeholders for helping the country create jobs for the benefit of the people.

Aquino acknowledged though that while the country is considered a competitive player, there are still a lot of things that need to be done to meet the demands of the IT-BPO sector particularly in servicing untapped markets.

The Department of Science and Technology has put programs in place to scale the human resources capability of Filipino workers, which will to identify potential candidates that could enter the industry, he said.

The government has the Next Wave Cities Program to give the opportunity for potential entrants living outside Metro Manila. Aside from improving the English proficiency of candidates, Tesda allotted P20 million for free training of potential workers.

More than 140 organizations involved in the global IT-BPO industry participated in the discussions on emerging markets, new technologies, and service development during the two-day international outsourcing summit held in Manila.

Organized by BPAP, the summit aims to discuss major issues affecting the industry, including opportunities such as growing acceptance of service outsourcing and the increasingly high value delivered by service providers.

Over 400 delegates and 80 speakers and panelists from Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, Colombia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, the UK and the US attended the two-day event held last Oct. 11 and 12.