Group pushes more IT-BPM facilities in provinces

MANILA, Philippines - The Information Technology and Business Processing Association of the   Philippines (IBPAP) is pushing for the opening of IT-BPM (information-technology business processing management) facilities in the provinces in line with the group’s aim of increasing its workforce count in the countryside by 2016.     

IBPAP president and chief executive officer Jose Mari Mercado said in   a briefing yesterday the group is currently conducting a road show in 10 cities outside of Metro Manila as it seeks to increase the share of IT-BPM workers from the provinces in the industry’s total workforce   count by 2016.      

He noted that currently, 72 percent of IT-BPM workers are in Metro Manila, while only 28 percent are in the provinces.     

“What we want to shoot for is by 2016, that will be a 60-40 percent split and 40 percent will be working in the provinces,” he said.     

The ongoing roadshow, he said, covers next wave cities or cities which are seen to be ready to host IT-BPM facilities such as Naga, Laoag, Tacloban, Butuan, Iloilo, Puerto Princesa, Tarlac, Antipolo, Baguio and Cagayan de Oro.     

The roadshow involves meeting with local government units, academe as   well as local businessmen to inform them of the opportunities in IT-BPM as well as preparations needed to attract investments in that sector.     

Mercado said the IBPAP wants to increase the number of IT-BPM workers in the provinces following a request from President Aquino, coursed through Department of Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo, for the industry to work on offering employment opportunities in the countryside.

This, as the government aims to make the country’s economic growth inclusive.  “The objective or target is to make whatever growth we have in the industry more inclusive so it affects more people,” Mercado said.     

IBPAP senior executive director Gillian Joyce Virata said the group also wants to spread employment opportunities in the provinces to be able to get talent supply, as Metro Manila has become   too crowded with most IT-BPM facilities located in that area.     

“We really foresaw that it will be too crowded in Metro Manila and it could lead to inflationary pressures, so the next wave cities is a very important program to solve the talent supply. It is very competitive now in terms of hiring,” she said.     

With 75 percent of graduates living outside of Metro Manila, she said it makes sense to look for people to employ in the provinces.     

“There are other potential cities like Iloilo, cities of Calabarzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon), Region 3...and Region 1,” she   said.     

In line with the IBPAP’s aim for the IT-BPM industry to provide employment opportunities in the countryside, the  5th International Outsourcing Summit (IOS) being organized by the group to be held on Oct. 6 to 8 at the Makati Shangri-La would present IT-BPM cities outside of Metro Manila which have been growing rapidly.     

The IOS would likewise cover discussions on emerging opportunities and   challenges as well as other industry developments in integration of social, mobile, analytics and cloud as well as how to manage multi-cultural workforce.