ILOILO CITY, Philippines ? President Gloria MacApagal-Arroyo on Wednesday hailed the country?s significant advance in the Information and Communication Technology-Business Process Outsourcing (ICT-BPO) industry, saying the country was already challenging the global industry supremacy of India.

?Today, the Philippines with 90 million people has challenged India?s 1 billion population for BPO supremacy. Compared to $.02 B in 2001, which is almost nothing, our BPO industry has earned more than $7 billion in 2009. And that is not far behind India?s $9 billion (earnings) for call centers,? Ms. Arroyo said in a speech at the John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University in Iloilo City.

The President, who is visiting the top 10 next-wave for ICT-BPO investments as part of her cyber-corridor tour, said the employment in the ICT-BPO industry surged from 2,400 in 2000 to 446,000 in 2009 with the Philippines becoming a ?global powerhouse in the BPO industry.?

The potential for the country?s ICT-BPO industry remained strong with investors seeking higher value services including offshoring and outsourcing of accounting, legal, medical, personnel and administration services, according to the President.

BPO training programs have so far produced 3,000 graduates in Western Visayas.

The Ronald Raymund Lacson Sebastian (RRLS) Information and Communications Technology Academy of the John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University alone has trained 400 graduates with 255 already assured of jobs.

Iloilo is ranked third among the top 10 next-wave cities following Metro Laguna and Metro Cavite and is followed by Davao. Bacolod City is ranked fifth followed by Bulacan East, Bulacan West, Cagayan de Oro, Lipa City and Pampanga Central.

Before speaking to around 1,000 students and faculty members at the school?s gymnasium, the President briefly observed classes on English proficiency and computer literacy for call center agents.

Arroyo also congratulated the government officials of Bacolod City, which got top marks for its business environment.

The President briefly stopped by Teleperformance in Bacolod City as part of her cyber corridor tour.

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said the call center industry was one of the best things that ever happened to Bacolod because of the job opportunities it has created.

Leonardia disclosed that another group of investors was set to construct a new facility in the city that would create 1,200 more jobs.

Bacolod has seven contact centers that have generated 7,000 jobs, said Bacolod Councilor Jocelle Batapa Sigue, chair of the Bacolod-Negros Occidental Federation for ICT and National ICT Confederation of the Philippines.

This translates to direct investments of more than $15 million and an infusion of P80 million every month in terms of salaries in Bacolod City, Sigue said.