The Neptune Dinner

The Philippines comes 21st globally in people skills and availability because of qualities such as level of education, relevant experience, language capabilities, size and availability of the labor force. On the other hand, the Philippines ranks 42nd out of 50 countries in terms of business environment. It ranks low since the Philippines has relatively great country risk, low country infrastructure and cultural exposure, as well as low security against piracy and intellectual property theft. Overall, the Philippine IT-BPO industry has the potential to be at the forefront of the global BPO race.

Changes are happening quickly in the BPO industry. In order to not be left behind it is crucial that the Philippines pays close attention to trends that have the potential to alter the industry. If the country fails to keep pace with the changing landscape, it could well find its economic growth stagnating. As the demand for non-voice services continues to rise, there is a growing need for what has been described as Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO).

Currently in the Philippines, call center and voice operations make up about two-thirds of the BPO sector, however the government has recognized the trend moving towards KPO. As such, it is attempting to create an attractive investment environment, and is working with companies in order to identify key areas of specialization and training needed to create a competitive workforce.