FOLLOWING Donald Trump’s victory in the United States presidential elections, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña urged US business owners not to pull out their call centers and stay in the city instead.
“We will do everything in our power to protect you. There are many things we can accomplish at our own level. Don’t pack your bags and go to America. Pack your bags and come to Cebu,” he said.
The mayor met with representatives of business process outsourcing (BPO) and information technology (IT) companies yesterday, and assured them that the sector will continue to grow in Cebu City.
With 22 Philippine Economic Zone Authority-registered facilities and 349 companies directly employing 160,000 workers, the BPO sector is a booming industry in the city.
President-elect Trump has promised that within his first 100 days, he’ll work with Congress “to establish tariffs to discourage companies from laying off their workers in order to relocate in other countries and ship their products back to the US tax-free.”
Interests
Republicans will control both houses of the US Congress when Trump’s term begins on Jan. 20, 2017.
Attempts to discourage outsourcing may find some support among Democrats as well. In 2010, several Democrats—including 2016 presidential contender Bernie Sanders—proposed to give American employers a tax break for hiring new workers within the US to replace jobs that had been outsourced.
Ahead of the US elections, President Rodrigo Duterte has been saying he would “separate” from the US and “rebalance” the country’s foreign policy. However, he and his aides later clarified that the Philippines would not be cutting off its diplomatic relations with the United States.
Last Thursday, Mayor Osmeña said that President Duterte must be careful with his mouth so as not to drive US business interests away from the country.
He said that the City Government is firm in its thrust, adding that it has dealt before with the threat of foreign investors leaving.
His point man for business and economic development, Joel Mari Yu, said that with the city being named as one of the best outsourcing locations in the world, it has demonstrated its capabilities without any marketing problem.
Pledges
The city currently ranks 7th in the Tholons International’s Top 100 Outsourcing Destinations for 2016.
“The BPOs generate a monthly payroll of P7.2 billion for 160,000 workers. The mayor is targeting that the number of workers will increase to 200,000 in his first term,” he said.
The City Government is working on projects focusing on transportation, housing, safety and security, and providing a one-stop shop for workers.
Additional transportation services are being arranged for BPO workers employed in IT Park and Cebu Business Park, especially those working on graveyard shifts.
Ceres Tours, together with Cebu Holdings Inc. (CHI), will soon field buses from Danao and Carcar that will transport workers from 12 a.m. to 11 p.m.
CHI representative Nerissa Josef said they will field a 45-seater bus with a toilet, television, internet connection and closed-circuit cameras for a minimum fare of P25 for the first 15 kilometers.
“An additional P1.75 will be added for each succeeding kilometer. We found out that 48 percent of the workers are commuters who have to take a lot of rides before arriving home. We’re just waiting for the permits before we can formally run the buses,” she said.
More dorms
For housing, the City is planning on building a database of available lodging in Barangays Apas, Luz, Kamputhaw and Lahug, which have been previously identified to have the most number of call center and other BPO workers in the city.
The City will also create a mobile application to make checking housing availability more convenient and encourage investors to build dormitories for BPO workers in strategic locations.
“The long-term output is to create a situation wherein all the workers of one company will live in the same area. This will create a stress-free bonding,” Osmeña said.
Aside from increased police visibility, he said that more volunteers of the neighborhood watch will be needed for added security.
Each company is assigned three volunteers and three police officers who will man their premises from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. the next day.
More plans
City officials also promised to improve street lights, for added safety.
The one-stop shop, on the other hand, will cater to all government employment requirements and will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the IT and Business Parks.
Osmeña said that the City will also revive the part-time call center worker program for students he started earlier last year, when he was not yet mayor.
The program, which was piloted in the South Western University, provides students with a four-hour work time to help them with their school needs.
The mayor is also eyeing the creation of an “American market enclave” and campaigning for a consulate to be put up in the city.
“If the land belongs to the US Embassy, they can put American hospitals, which will be helpful for our overseas Filipino worker-retirees as they can use their insurance. We’re not only aiming for IT and BPO development, but also the best retirement place,” he said.