THE LOCAL business process outsourcing (BPO) industry is set to shift its resources toward higher-value services next year as the global financial crisis takes its toll on traditional markets.

According to the results of a recent survey, the BPO sector sees "good to outstanding" prospects for so-called "non-voice" services.

The survey was conducted by the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPA/P) and Outsource2Philippines (O2P) and managed by strategic marketing communications firm TeamAsia.

The results showed that 65 percent of respondents felt that the prospects for 2009 were "excellent to outstanding." Another 30 percent said prospects for next year were good, while only 5 percent said the business outlook would only be "fair."

None of the respondents--all officials of BPA/P member-firms--responded that prospects would be "poor."

The survey results come amid fears of a sharp downturn in the industry on which the government is banking to keep the unemployment rate at manageable levels.

BPO industry officials estimate that as many as 400,000 will be employed by the sector by the end of 2008, although many concede that the government goal of having a million call center workers nationwide by 2010 will be difficult to achieve.

The combined gross revenues of Philippine-based BPO firms are expected to hit $6.8 billion this year, up from $4.9 billion in 2007.

Together with an estimated $14 billion in remittances from expatriate Filipinos, the industry is a vital source of foreign exchange for the country.

According to BPA/P, the survey results confirm that "despite the impact of the global financial crisis on business activity in major markets, providers of non-voice outsourced business process services are optimistic that their businesses will continue to grow next year."

A total of 188 respondents participated in the survey, which was sent to 583 BPO executives, providing a 32-percent response rate.

Eighty-four percent of respondents provide non-voice outsourced business process services.

Non-voice business process services include animation and graphics, back-office services such as HR administration and accounting, customer care, engineering services, financial services, software development and other services and tech support.

Most respondents (91 percent) said the value added of their services was moderate, high, or very high, indicating that most non-voice BPO services provided in the Philippines are at least reasonably sophisticated.