Friday, November 07, 2008 Arroyo inaugurates BPO center By Ian Ocampo Flora and Reynaldo G. Navales
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Thursday inaugurated Teletech's newest Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) center at SM City Pampanga here, giving her administration's job creation program another worthwhile boost in Central Luzon.
After the inauguration ceremonies, the President also proceeded to the Clark Freeport Zone to lead the groundbreaking rites for the US$100 million maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility at the 2,500-hectare Clark Civil Aviation Complex.
In opening Teletech's newest customer management center, Arroyo was joined by Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Peter Favila, Subic Clark Alliance for Development Council (SCADC) Secretary Edgardo Pamintuan, Third District Representative Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales, Fourth District Representative Anna York Bondoc-Sagum, and Mayors Teddy Tumang of Mexico and Oscar Rodriguez of this city.
Arroyo, who just came in from another inauguration ceremony of a Petron facility in Subic Freeport, was welcomed by Teletech general manager and senior vice president Maulik Parekh.
Gonzales said the new facility will be beneficial for students and college graduates. "This establishment would surely provide more jobs to our young graduates, especially in Pampanga and nearby provinces."
Teletech has laid down groundwork to employ about 1,446 employees for 1,720-seat Management Center here. The center's total employment roll is expected to reach 1,950 by year-end.
Rodriguez said the BPO company would surely entice more investment in terms of other information technology related ventures.
"We hope to see more companies to open shop in San Fernando. Most of employers here say the work force in the province is very talented -- this is encouragement enough for more BPOs to open shop," Rodriguez said.
Starting with only 5,000 employees in 2005, Teletech currently employs 18,500 workers in its 12 customer management centers in Fort Bonifacio, Pasay, Novaliches, Cainta, Dumaguete, Bacolod, Lipa, Cebu, Bacoor, Iloilo, Pampanga, and Sta. Rosa Laguna
Favila said the opening of the BPO center reaffirms the encouragement of the government that the call center sector would not be entirely affected by the looming global financial crisis.
The Teletech expansion in Pampanga was initially outlined by Teletech president Kenneth Tuchman during the sidelines of the World Economic forum in Feb. 2007.
Tuchman was visibly impressed with the President's vision for the BPO industry and the "world-class Filipino workforce" that he has decided to increase Teletech's workforce in the Philippines to 25,000 in 2009.
Before proceeding to the inaugural rites, the President's entourage made a stopover at the Hilaga complex here where she was welcomed by local and national officials.
At the Freeport, Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) and chief executive officer (CEO) Victor Jose Luciano said: "President Arroyo was grateful to see the first ever world-class MRO to be set up inside the airport complex."
"The President told me that she was very happy and grateful and that she wanted this project to be set up at Clark as this is her dream in making the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) as the leading service and logistics hub in the world," Luciano said during the groundbreaking rites.
"This is what she (President Arroyo) wants, she really wants this project," he added.
Arroyo arrived here about 1:30 p.m. and led officials of the CIAC headed by Luciano, SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC) led by president and CEO William Tan and Cebu Pacific Air president and CEO Lance Gokongwei to the groundbreaking and capsule laying of the multi-million dollar project which is expected to be completed by mid 2009.
"This is one of the main components of the vision to make Clark a leading aviation service hub for the Asia Pacific Region, this is the maintenance facility for commercial aircrafts," Luciano said.
"It means a lot of economic activity, a lot of employment, where 1,000 jobs would be generated by the project, it will also generate 10,000 indirect jobs," Luciano added. (With reports from Jovi T. De Leon)
