US firm may put up 500-seat call center in RP

MANILA, Philippines - A US-based company may soon put up a 1,000-seat contact center in the Philippines, confident that the country remains “conducive" to outsourcing, an industry official said. Call center businesses remain “viable" with revenues and profits seen growing up to 20 percent this year, Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) executive director Jojo J. Uligan told GMANews.TV. Although the Philippines is not the cheapest location, it nevertheless offers skilled labor, he added. “Filipinos are known worldwide when it comes to skill," Uligan said. Industry growth this year is almost the same rate projected in 2008 although new clients are coming in and call centers are still expanding based on CCAP’s survey among its members. The crisis has prompted “more and more companies to become open to outsourcing this time compared to before," he said, citing outsourcing’s cost savings and benefits. Uligan also said that two contact center operators -- one of which is a major industry player – are planning their respective initial share sales after the 2010 presidential elections. Earlier, Philippine Stock Exchange President Francisco Lim urged members of the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) to tap the equities market in 2006. Besides expanding their access to capital, having shares listed enhances companies’ visibility, credibility, and public profile. It also expands business relationships, increases recruiting power, employee commitment, and provides “liquidity events" for the financial advisor, Lim said. At the same, Uligan admitted that the quality of graduates is a “major concern" for CCAP. CCAP, the group which represents Philippine contact centers, is currently “partnering with the government, academe, and industry to help them so quality of graduates will help address the needs of the industry specifically for call center," he said. It has partnered with CIBI Information Inc to keep a central repository containing employee reference data contributed by CCAP members. CCAP has teamed up with People Management Association of the Philippines to create programs that will empower companies to keep a highly engaged workforce. Not only is the industry “rewarding," the career path is “huge," Uligan said. “There is a lot of potential for [employees] to be GMs (general managers) or presidents. We promote very fast," he said. - Ruby Anne M. Rubio, GMANews.TV