BPO sector keenly awaits Cebu's MBA hub outlook

CEBU, Philippines - Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry players hope that Cebu will fast track its plan in positioning itself as MBA (Masters in Business Administration) hub in Southern Philippines, in order to attract higher level outsourcing investments.

Business Process Association of the Philippines (BPAP) former chairman, and chief executive officer (CEO) of Aegis PeopleSupport, applauded Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s vision to make Cebu as “MBA Hub.”

According to Borja, the Mayor’s plan is seen to suit well the City’s bid to attract the new wave of outsourcing investments, which is the Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO), of which salary standard are much higher than the voice-outsourcing service like the call center.

Currently, investment banks in the US, and analysis jobs requirement in the Wall Street are being outsourced, and the Philippines has the capacity to capture this multi-million-dollar industry, as long as it has enough manpower pool.

Positioning Cebu as an MBA Hub, would well serve the City or the province’s bid in becoming the number one emerged outsourcing destination in the world, he said.

Earlier, Osmeña announced to BPO players here his plan to establish the first

University of the Philippines-MBA school designed solely for the call center agents or BPO workers, wherein schedule of classes will be adjusted depends on the convenience of the students.

“We will create brain-drain to the SRP,” Osmena said explaining that with the establishment of first UP-MBA school SRP will create a community of “bright” manpower pool to the SRP that will draw BPO investments to the area.

The Cebu City government will officially turnover a five-hectare property within SRP to the University of the Philippines-Cebu to establish the MBA school in the area. UP, on the other hand, is allowed to get industry partners to invest for the facility in the next three years.

The Mayor said that Cebu has recognized its weakness in providing good manpower supply to BPO investors, this is in the lack of middle-management or supervisory and managerial pool. Thus, the creation of the MBA school at SRP.

With this, Osmena said professionals will no longer consider call center agents as “dead-end” jobs, as it now provides after-work school “offering them a future”.

Meanwhile, an Australian investor expressed interest to partner with local institution to put an international MBA school in Cebu, to help arrest the problem of mid-management manpower pool that concerns Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry here.

Michael Burdette, chairman and director-finance for Tech Growth Solutions Cebu Inc., said that he currently on talks with local businessmen to venture an International MBA school here, so that Cebu will be able supply the much needed managers and supervisors for the BPO sector.

Burdette said he is willing to invest in a school facility that will also tap international MBA instructors in partnership with existing universities or colleges here.

“Cebu has huge potential for BPO investments, compared to other places in the Philippines, like Manila. Cebuanos are intelligent, hardworking, your tech sector is good,” he said stressing that establishment an immediate establishment of an international MBA school may further push up Cebu’s position as BPO investment magnet.

He said his investment here in Cebu, which provides backroom services for clients all over the world, is meant for long term, the reason why he is serious in working with local traders to fund or put up world-class MBA school here.