CEBU Rep. Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco has thrown his support to Bangon Philippine Outsourcing (BPO Partylist), a Cebu-born partylist represented by industry leader and techno-preneur Mike Cubos.

In his Facebook post on Thursday, January 13, 2022, Frasco said he met with Cubos and the rest of the business process management (BPM) firm to “discuss ways in which Congress and the National Government can help our thriving BPM sector in Cebu and the Philippines.”

“Considering the size of the BPM industry in the Philippines and the billions of pesos this industry contributes to our local and national economy, it’s about time the BPM sector is given representation and given a voice in Congress,” said Frasco during the dialogue with stakeholders.

The BPO Partylist is the first partylist group to vie for a seat in Congress seeking to represent one of the biggest industries in the country in the upcoming May 2022 National Elections.

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The BPO Partylist programs include access to free call center training prioritizing solo parents, displaced workers and job seekers to each local government unit, free internet in urban areas and more information technology, call center and online freelancing jobs.

It also promised to promote homegrown BPM entrepreneurship and incubation, countryside development and push for innovation and digital cities.

Cubos, co-founder of Cebu Innovation Council and current vice president for Cebu business mobilization of the Cebu Chamber and Commerce and Industry, believes bringing the IT-BPM opportunities to the countryside will help the industry grow at a faster pace.

He said incubating aspiring local BPMs, particularly in prospective IT-BPM areas, will not only accelerate revenue and employment generation but also spur other business activities.

“We have to create a hub in the countryside where entrepreneurs, who want to be a part of the industry, will be mentored so they will have a better success rate in the industry,” said Cubos during the Cebu Business Month (CBM) 2021 IT-BPM Coffee Table Discussion.

In a previous interview, Cubos also stressed that it is high time for this industry to be represented well in government, especially since this industry has long been one of the country’s economic pillars that brought in revenues, jobs and other business opportunities.

He said the partylist will not only promote the industry in the global map and attract more investments but also help craft policies that will protect the very core of the industry which is its people.

Even with the lingering impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the IT-BPM sector was the country’s economic lifesaver. A study from the Everest Group said the country’s IT-BPM is expected to increase seven to eight percent in terms of full-time employees and eight to 12 percent in terms of revenue in 2021.

The industry estimated 1.43 million Filipinos were working in the industry last year from 1.32 million direct employees in 2020.