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Wednesday, March 15, 2006
More BPOs find Cebu attractive - DTI chief
Cebu is a preferred destination of call centers and other business process outsourcing (BPO) companies, according to Trade Secretary Peter Favila.
Favila said call center companies are encouraged to locate in Cebu because there is not enough space in Manila. Leasing an office is also more expensive there, he added.
Favila spoke yesterday during an economic briefing hosted by the Philippine Government’s economic team and officials of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.
Call centers
There are 15 to 16 call centers currently located in Cebu with roughly 4,000 seats, he said.
He also revealed in his speech that during a recent economic managers road show in Japan, a company expressed interest in participating in airport projects in the Philippines including the expansion of the Mactan Cebu International Airport.
“I have invited this group to come over for more serious discussions. That should be a big boost to improve future flow of traffic of goods and people to Cebu, especially as we showcase the province with our hosting of this year’s Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit,” he said.
Products
In an interview, he said Cebu is “really known” for a lot of much-needed products, like furniture and processed food, by neighboring countries.
“And there’s also no question about your tourism. Cebu is a preferred destination. That’s why I’m glad to (see) new hotels here and new resorts and other facilities,” he said.
He stressed that Cebu-anos should continue to be competitive.
Earlier, the Confederation of Philippine Exporters Foundation (Philexport-Cebu) Inc. appealed to the government to help stabilize the peso to the competitive range of exchange at P53 to P54 to a dollar.
Help
The export sector had asked for help as they are competing with exporters from other Asian countries having “favorable” exchange rates.
“We’re looking at mitigating measures. I just had a fruitful meeting with Philexport this morning. While they realize that the stronger peso benefits the general public, we will continue to explore mitigating measures like how do we cut down on all these licenses and fees, which is really the object of the DTI ongoing study,” Favila said. (ALC)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (March 15, 2006 issue)
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