CIPC to showcase Cebu's BPO potential in Uruguay

CEBU, Philippines - As Cebu tries to sustain its reputation as one of the world’s preferred destinations for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) investments, the Cebu Investments and Promotions Center (CIPC) will showcase Cebu’s capability in this area at the Latin American and Caribbean Outsourcing and Offshoring Summit.

To be held at Montevideo, Uruguay this coming April 14 to 15, CIPC managing director Joel S. Mari Yu will be presenting Cebu to the Latin American and Caribbean BPO investors.

Yu said he will be delivering a presentation entitled “Cebu City: The Rise of an Outsourcing Star.”

He said the presentation will explain the emergence of Cebu City as number nine in Tholon’s Top 10 Outsourcing Destinations in the world.

It will specifically point the fact that although the city has a population of less than one million, it was able to ramp up a total of 60,000 direct employees in the IT-BPO sector, with US$720 million in annual revenues as of 2010, and more than 100 IT-BPO firms operating within the City.

Yu’s presentation will also boast of Cebu’s Human Capital Development efforts, as it is considered as the most comprehensive in the Philippines.

He said he will emphasize the fact that Cebu City government for instance has established scholarship funds as well as allocations for advertising campaign, and the creation of specialized training programs in coordination with the private sector players or industry stakeholders.

The aggressive move and support from the academe will also be highlighted in his presentation with the introduction of curriculum development program across Cebu universities and colleges, the training of English Teachers program, the Immersion program of IT professor in companies, and the Internship program of student.

The collaboration between the BPO players and universities in Cebu for the training of BPO personnel in Cebu, should be known in the whole world, specially to investors, Yu added.

According to Yu, Cebu City is being looked up to as a model for small cities in Latin America and the Caribbean which are trying to promote IT-BPO investments.

The conference will be participated by BPOs from the Americas, Europe and Asia.

It is being organized by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Tholons.

Earlier, Tholons managing director for South East Asia Jonathan De Luzuriaga urged Cebu BPO/ICT promoters to take advantage of its niche in Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO).

The name of the game now in attracting BPO investments is no longer the availability of good English-speaking talent pool, but recognizing the core competency zeroing in to promoting niche skills.

   “We can not be everything and anything to everyone,” he said adding that Cebu has an enormous opportunity to grow in the healthcare and information management KPO services, as other cities in the Philippines have slowly recognizing their respective core competencies.—(FREEMAN)