British experts say PHL BPO industry outlook very positive

British experts have a "very positive" outlook of the Philippines' business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. The DFA said British-Philippines Outsourcing Council (BPOC) Board Members Ian McGowan and Richard Patterson disclosed this to Philippine Ambassador Enrique Manalo early this month. "(They said) that while most BPO clients served from the Philippines were American, there has been a 'noticeable increase in interest' from British, Australian and Asian firms wanting 'extraordinarily high skill sets and competitive pricing,'" the DFA said. McGowan and Patterson had paid a courtesy call on Manalo at the Philippine Embassy on Feb. 2. During the call, the two said outsourcing was "not bad" for developed economies, such as the United Kingdom, emphasizing that companies outsource to the Philippines "to compete globally and be successful." Also, they said their extensive experience with various British companies with BPO services in the Philippines showed that "for every job created in the Philippines several more jobs are created in Britain." For his part, Manalo expressed support for BPOC's efforts to promote the Philippines as an investment destination. "The Embassy, as part of its economic diplomacy program, will continue to work with organizations such as BPOC to actively showcase the Philippines as a prime, value-for-money business location. The BPO industry is one of the country's leading lights, especially here in Britain where the Philippines has been regularly adjudged Best Offshoring Destination thrice over the past few years. BPOC will be an important partner in developing a bigger market in this country," he said. BPOC is a non-profit, independent organization based in London. It was established in 2009 to promote the Philippines as a BPO destination to British businesses. Its membership is open to all companies with a base in the United Kingdom who either operate outsourcing services in the Philippines, outsource work to the Philippines or provide advisory services to the outsourcing or buyer communities. Estimates by the Business Process Outsourcing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) show the BPO industry grew by 22 percent to US$10.9 billion in 2011, employing 640,000 people. By 2016, it is forecast to grow to 1.3 million workers generating some $25 billion in export revenues. — LBG, GMA News