IT-BPO industry welcomes passage of Cybercrime Prevention Act

MANILA, Philippines - Major players in the information technology and business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) as well as global in-house center (GIC) industry said the signing of the anti-cybercrime bill into law would further boost investments into the Phillippines.

Benedict Hernandez, president and chief executive officer of the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP), said in a statement that the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 or RA 10175 signed into law by President Aquino last Sept. 12 would help sustain investor confidence in the country.

The signing of the new law closely followed the recent enactment of the Data Privacy Act or RA 10173 by President Aquino.

 “These recent developments significantly enhance our operating environment and contribute to the overall potential of the Philippine IT-BPO industry going forward. The Cybercrime Prevention Act will help sustain and enhance investor confidence and strengthen our position as one of the world’s top locations for high-value IT-BPO services,” he said.

The Cybercrime Prevention Act is meant to provide the resources and legal framework to identify, prevent, and impose punishment for Internet-based crimes and safeguard users’ online information from unauthorized data collectors while the Data Privacy Act requires the protection and preservation of personal data collected by public agencies and private organizations.

He pointed out that the industry would benefit from provisions covering system and data protection, device security, and penalties for computer-related offenses because IT-BPO firms utilize the Internet and computer technology as the principal channel for communication processes.

 “The anti-cybercrime law will aid the industry in sustaining growth and global leadership. This new law validates the strong partnership we continue to build with the public sector, as well as the government’s recognition of the industry’s significant contribution to our economy and employment,” Hernandez added.

On the other hand, the Healthcare Information Management Outsourcing Association of the Philippines (Himoap) said the Philippines would continue to be a top BPO destination through expansion of various sectors including healthcare information management outsourcing (Himo) especially with the enactment of the new laws.

 “The country is responding to the global demand for more innovative healthcare information management services,” said Himoap president JL Botor.

The government has placed IT-BPO outsourcing among its top priority growth sectors with the signing of the Data Privacy Act and Cybercrime Prevention Act.

However, Trankripsyo chief executive officer Michael Chua said the country also needs to cultivate a quality pool of HIMO professionals as course offerings remain limited and expensive.

Chua stressed the need for partnerships with educational institutions like the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to create a domestic demand and bring education closer to the potential talent.

“HIMO is a rather new industry. The government should continue to assist the industry in terms of manpower development and creating awareness in major markets such as the US, Europe, Australia and Asia that the country has this capability,” Chua said.

The industry sees a 20 percent growth overall in revenues to more than $13 billion this year from $11 billion last year. The IT-BPO is expected to be a $25-billion industry by 2016 and to provide high-paying jobs to 1.3 million Filipinos from the current level of 640,000.