Noy hails Mar as father of Philippine BPO industry

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino has hailed Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Manuel Roxas II as the “father of business process outsourcing industry in the Philippines” now that the BPO industry’s revenue is nearly $25 billion.?It was during Roxas’ stint as secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry that he conceptualized and made true his vision of making the Philippines the hub of BPO offices despite the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

“In the middle of the Asian financial crisis, he scrutinized what seemed like a grim economic landscape and saw potential in the union of our countrymen’s talents and your sector,” Aquino said during the 7th annual International IT-BPM Summit 2015 at Marriott Hotel in Manila yesterday.

“Roxas also reached out to industry leaders, and through the ‘Make IT Philippines’ strategy, aggressively marketed the Philippines as a destination for investments in this sector… None of this, I have to emphasize, was done for personal gain or glory. Everything Mar did, he did to facilitate your growth and the progress of Filipinos.

“In fact, he expressly asked his family not to apply in the eco-zones, which is why Cubao in Quezon City was one of the last places to be developed as a location for the IT-BPM industry,” the President added.

Aquino also thanked the IT-BPM industry for being a driving force in the local economy, where jobs are generated not only in the major cities but also in the countryside.

“We want to replicate this kind of success in each and every sector, and in the entire economy. In this endeavor, as with all others, it is our single most important resource, the Filipino people, who will propel us to greater heights,” he added.

Leni asked prayers from priests

Meanwhile, Roxas’ running mate Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo asked for prayers from priests led by Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra when she attended the clergy’s monthly recollection at the Sacred Heart Seminary in Bacolod City on Tuesday.

“I asked for prayers because I think every day will be a constant struggle. Election is not easy. I’m diving into this without resources or anything. No political capital, no machinery. I’m alone that’s why I need a lot of prayers. I need strength and guidance every day, especially for my children as we enter this fight defenseless,” Robredo said.

Rep. Robredo, wife of the late interior secretary Jesses Robredo, visited Bacolod a day after the LP named her as its candidate for vice president.

Robredo, however, said that she doesn’t want the people to vote for her just because she is the widow of the late interior secretary, who was known for good governance.

“It’s a wrong reason to vote for somebody because of sympathy,” she said. “It should not be hinged on sympathy. It should be based on what the candidate has done in the past.”

“During election season, everybody loves the poor. But what have you done in the past to prove that you indeed love the poor?” she added. – With Danny Dangcalan