Gov’t partners with BPAP to support outsourcing industry

MANILA, Philippines – The National Government is partnering with the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) for projects that would entail half a billion pesos in investments annually, Budget and Management Secretary Florencio Abad said yesterday.

He said the government would tie up with BPAP to support the outsourcing industry’s target of creating 3.15 million jobs and $6 billion in tax revenues by 2016.

In a statement, BPAP chairman Alfredo Ayala proposed a partnership that would implement an improved and expanded Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Under the project, TESDA would train 58,000 scholars this year and in 2012.

The projects would require a total of P500 million in yearly investments, BPAP said.

Ayala said the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry has a potential to generate $20 billion in export revenues.

However, he said investments are needed to sustain market growth and momentum. “We need to make investments now, especially in growing the talent base of our country,” Ayala said.

The Aquino administration has proposed P438.9 billion for the economic services sector for 2012, or an increase of 21.3 percent over the sector’s P361.9-billion budget for this year, Abad said.

Abad also said that to support the development of competent human capital, the proposed 2012 budget for the education, culture and manpower development sector amounts to P308.95 billion, or an increase of 13.8 percent over its P271.49-billion budget this year. –Iris C. Gonzales (The Philippine Star)