BASCO, Batanes, Philippines — Agriculture has always been the main source of livelihood here, but the provincial government believes Batanes, the typhoon-prone, northernmost part of the Philippines, can soon become one of the country’s major sites for business process outsourcing (BPO) investments.

Governor Telesforo Castillejos said that to help attract investors so the province could diversify income sources to include services, the provincial government had introduced programs to help the indigenous people of Batanes — the Ivatan — develop skills needed to get employed in BPO companies such as call centers and medical transcription firms.

He said the provincial government had, for instance, tied up with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and private schools to offer courses to improve the communications and information technology skills of the Ivatan.

Recently, about 200 Ivatan were asked to take a qualifying exam given by Software Ventures International Group (SVI), a BPO company that has been in the Philippines for years but is eyeing to expand to more sites in the provinces, he said. He said 80 passed the exam.

A BPO company normally needs at least 150 workers for each site to be convinced to do business in an area.

Castillejos said that of the average 1,600 college graduates that Batanes produces every year, 60-70 percent leave for nonagricultural employment opportunities elsewhere, mostly in Metro Manila and abroad.

“If we can attract more private sector investors here, starting with those engaged in BPO, then less Ivatans would want to migrate somewhere else,” he said.

The provincial government is willing to give tax-free privileges to BPO companies that will set up sites in Batanes, the governor said.

He said Batanes already had the basic infrastructure needed for BPOs: full electrification of villages and reliable Internet service.

Concerning the frequent typhoons, Castillejos said buildings here were built to withstand the elements.

He also cited the friendly nature of Ivatan and the province’s zero crime rate. Edited by INQUIRER.net