BACOLOD City was included among the list of cities worldwide that have potentials to enter the top 50 emerging global outsourcing cities as per the study of Cyber Media's Global Services that was published online last October 7.

Other cities include Nizhniy Novgorod in Russia, Cork in Ireland, Tianjin in China and Amman in Jordan.

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Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said it is "very gratifying and inspiring that the City of Bacolod has the potential to be included in the top 50 of emerging global outsourcing cities," adding that he will make sure the City of Smiles will indeed make it to the list.

Leonardia thus requested Councilor Greg Gasataya to tap the participation of the private sector with emphasis on the training of potential call center agents.

He said Bacolod has the highest percentage rate of call center applicants as relayed to him by the country manager of Convergys during the visit of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last October 1 where she formally opened this year's MassKara Festival and inaugurated Convergys' ninth facility.

"It's more than a good start for us," Leonardia said.

The study by Cyber Media's Global Services on the top eight global outsourcing cities said five of them include cities from India - Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune - Dublin in Ireland, the National Capital Region and Makati City in the Philippines.

The top 50 emerging global outsourcing cities this year has nine new entrants, including Quezon City, Toronto, Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City, Jaipur, Singapore City, Chengdu, Guadalajara and Mandaluyong City. Of the top 50 cities, 19 are from Asia and 13 from Central and Eastern Europe.

The study said the choice of the city has become more important than the choice of the country to set up an outsourcing center, with factors such as the quality of workforce and infrastructure determining its attractiveness.

Global Services editor Ed Nair said "the concept of an individual location being a one-stop-shop has given way to smart, multi-selective sourcing models, wherein selected process are outsourced only to the most appropriation destination."

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(October 15, 2008 issue)
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