BPO sector calls for tangible government support and protection

CEBU, Philippines —  The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector in Cebu calls on the country’s lawmakers to craft laws and programs that will protect and strengthen the promising industry.

“We are crying to be recognized,” said Joslyn Canon, ICT/BPM (Information, Communication Technology/ Business Process Management) chairperson for Cebu Business Month (CBM 2021).

Canon emphasized that despite being a consistent job creating industry, the government has yet to “see” them as an integral partner to economic growth.

Canon, who is also is the director for community relations at Qualfon, said that one of the pressing issues, which the upcoming ICT/BPO summit will have to tackle is the technology infrastructure and power supply.

“We are one of the few industries that kept jobs alive all throughout the pandemic,” she said adding that with the contribution generated by the growing ICT/BPO sector, not just in Cebu but around the country, it is high time for the government to put their hands on it.

She said while work-from-home set up, especially in the outsourcing sector is here to stay for quite some time, telecommunication companies should be pressured to improve their services in providing stable data and speed to homes.

Additionally, unreliable power supply is also considered a big issue for the BPO sector, whose operations need uninterrupted power 24/7.

Canon’s statement is also supported by CBM 2021 chairman Mike Cubos, saying with the speed that the ICT/BPO is industry growing, the government has to draw closer and thereby support the industry by action, not just in papers.

Cubos, who also owns a call center firm reiterated that there is a need to create a unified bill for the protection of business process management (BPM) workers.

While the ICT/BPM sector in Cebu has recognized the creation of a few bills filed in Congress and Senate such as the recent SB 2149, which seeks to address the working struggles of BPM, the industry players believe that a unified bill or creation of a dedicated body to oversee the movement of the growing ICT/BPM is crucial.

In an earlier interview, Cubos said that there have already been several measures filed before the Senate and Congress that need to be tackled and unifying them would help create a stronger shield to an industry that is contributing about 10 percent to the country’s gross domestic product.

In Cebu, the private sector, through the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), has recognized the huge contribution of the ICT/BPM to the economic make up of Cebu, the reason why the sector has been acknowledged as among the top five sectors.

The IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) reported that the sector booked $26-billion revenue in 2020.