ITES companies move to provinces
INFORMATION
technology-enabled service (ITES) companies are setting up shop
outside Metro Manila as the government steps up a campaign to
promote regional urban centers as alternative locations for
business process outsourcing operations, officials of the
Department of Trade and Industry and local government units
said.
Undersecretary Carissa Cruz, who is in charge of the
department's regional operations group, said the promotional
efforts were aimed at developing a cyber service corridor
similar to Malaysia's Multimedia Corridor.
"The regions have been showing striking advancement in business
infrastructure and the availability of human resource and real
estate make firm their potential as ITES locations," she said.
The regional IT hubs were showcased at the close of the
e-Services Philippines 2006 Outsourcing Conference and
Exhibition, which featured the cities of Zamboanga, General
Santos City, Dumaguete, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, Cebu, Naga and
Davao and the provinces of Bohol, Bataan, Bulacan, Pangasinan,
Camarines Sur, Iloilo, Leyte, Pampanga and other provinces.
Also promoted was the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas,
Rizal and Quezon) region, south and east of Manila.
In Davao, the trade and industry department's regional director
Lou Pasawa said, Japanese firms had put up home improvement and
English-language learning operations in the city by way of ITES.
"Also, we have 400 call center seats online and PeopleSupport
has put up a training center in Davao," Pasawa said.
In Dumaguete, SPI Technologies and TeleTech have put up shop in
what industry officials consider a very good location in terms
of talent pool and infrastructure.
In Cebu are 12 call centers, including those of Convergys and
eTelecare.
In Bacolod, City Councilor Jocelle Batapa-Sigue said four major
call center firms were expected to put up operations there this
year.
In General Santos, the department's Assistant Regional Director
Doris Delima said home-grown companies engaged in medical
transcription were thriving. INQ7.NET
|