Govt urged to identify alternative markets for BPO sector

THE Philippines must look for other alternative markets for the business process outsourcing industry amid the threat posed by a bill pending in the US Congress, consultancy firm CB Richard Ellis said.

“The pending anti-outsourcing bill of the US proves to be a threat to the growing BPO industry in the country as US accounts for 70 percent of the Philippines’ business process outsourcing market,” CBRE said in its Metro Manila market view for the fourth quarter of 2011 released recently.

“The possible negative impact of this bill can be avoided once the country starts exploring alternative markets,” CBRE said.

The bill, filed by Rep. Tim Bishop of New York and the Communications Workers of America Union, is pushing to exclude companies that outsource their call center from guaranteed federal loans and grants for a period of five years.

Entitled “US Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act,” the bill also requires the companies to report in advance to the Labor Department.

The Joint Foreign Chambers regards the BPO sector as one of the seven industries where the Philippines is globally competitive. The other sectors are agribusiness, creative industries, infrastructure, manufacturing and logistics, mining, and tourism, medical travel and retirement. Julito G. Rada, Manila Standard Today