Friday, June 20, 2008 Economic forum: Prospects, challenges of the BPO industry
CEBU'S economy is considered to be the fastest growing among other provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao, and is the fifth largest in the country.
In recent years, the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry has become one of the main drivers of economic growth in the province. Nearly all recently-completed buildings, as well as those being constructed at the moment, are meant to cater to the projected need for office space of BPO companies.
This year’s Sun.Star Economic Forum (SEF), as a resource of information on Cebu’s business environment, will tackle issues related to the BPO industry.
The SEF 2008, to be held on August 20, will involve not just its usual partners—the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), Department of Trade and Industry and major universities in Cebu—but also key players in the BPO industry.
To start the forum, the Neda will present macro-economic data of Cebu vis-à-vis the economic performance of the Central Visayas region. Neda will also provide insights on Cebu’s role in national economic plans and various potential investment areas.
The SEF 2008 will provide an overview of the BPO industry in Cebu—what kind of outsourcing services are located here, what type of services will be found in the future. It will also tackle prospects and challenges facing Cebu’s BPO industry and related sectors.
Aside from the latest trends in the industry, the forum aims to shed light on how growth in the sector will be sustained, how to improve necessary infrastructure and what kind of skills are needed to establish a stable source of qualified graduates to fill jobs in BPO companies.
The SEF 2008 will not only be relevant to stakeholders in the BPO industry but also local policy makers, the academe, the retail sector, service providers and even those who have yet to decide what career paths to take.
In its first four years, the SEF served as the venue for the discussion of issues and opportunities in the power, water, information technology and tourism industries, among others, featuring high-level speakers from the government and private sectors.
But aside from being a venue of information and discussion, SEF has also become an advocate for policies that will improve the investment climate in the province and the entire region.
