IT-BPO to attract more investments for Iloilo City
Secretary Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) lauded Iloilo City or being one of the top new wave cities in the country, during the opening of the Convergence 2009, here.
“Iloilo is number three, but you can do much to further improve,” Secretary Chua said as he urged the Ilonggos to “continue to work harder in order to attract more investments and create more jobs”.
The continued presence of Convergys and other Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) establishments in the Philippines is a solid validation of the numerous citations the country has received most recent of which is the Offshoring Destination of the Year Award given by the UK-based National Outsourcing Association in ceremonies held last week in London. The country also won the same award in 2007, Secretary Chua said.
According to the CICT press report, the Philippine BPO industry generated 6.1 billion US dollars in export revenues in 2008 employing close to 400,000 workers making the Philippines the world’s second biggest BPO player next only to India.
In 2004, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Eexecutive Order 269, creating the CICT to oversee the development of ICT in the Philippines, including ensuring the growth of the IT-BPO industry.
President Arroyo in one of her statements disclosed that “our BPO industry continues to boom as global cost-cutting is sent to outsourcing. The Philippines is ranked among the most attractive off-shoring destinations in the world because of cost competitiveness and more importantly the country’s highly trainable, English proficient, IT-enabled quality manpower”.
“BPO and e-services are key drivers of the economy, generating investments and jobs, alleviating poverty and improving the lives of the people. We are proud to be among the world’s leaders in these fields,” the President said.
The track sessions during the two-day activity were: The Philippine Cyber Corridor by CICT Commissioner Monchito Ibrahim; Bizspark (Techno Start-ups support) program- Ms. Joana Rodriguez, National Technology Officer of Microsoft Philippines; Technopreneurship Program- Ayala Technology Business Incubatioin Netrork Ayala Foundation; e-Serbisyo and eBayad: Toward Philippine Government Online; eLGU: Jumpstarting eGovernance in LGUs.
Also included were Kapihang BPO-IT, and industry-academe forum; Human capital development; and Information infrastructure development.
Secretary Chua said the CICT vision is to have an ICT-enabled society where citizens live in an environment that promotes access to technologies providing quality education, sustainable employment, efficient government service, and ultimately a better way of life. (PIA6/T.Villavert)
