Contact centers seek gov’t support

The Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) is seeking further support and assistance from the government for the local contact center industry to sustain its growth and cement its leadership globally.

CCAP president Benedict Hernandez said their group, which has more than 90 member-companies and accounts for 80 percent of total industry revenues, needed “continued support in maintaining the country’s competitiveness as an investment and service delivery destination by improving infrastructure, power supply stability, ease of doing business, and competitive cost environment.”

According to Hernandez, the local contact center sector also needed “continued favorable, stable and predictable investment incentives and regulations, [as well as] continued support in increasing qualified talent for the industry’s needs through public-private partnerships, primarily with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Education (DepEd), and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).”

As it is, the Philippines remains the No. 1 destination of choice for customer relations management and is poised to further strengthen its global leadership in the contact center industry with the upcoming release of the much anticipated report detailing the latest growth forecasts of the local sector.

These projections are contained in the so-called “State of the Industry Report,” which is highly sought by industry analysts, investors and the government.

Even foreign firms are reportedly awaiting the release of the report as it tracks the future prospects of the Philippine contact center industry.

The CCAP said it would unveil the report at the 2013 International Contact Center Conference and Expo (ICCCE), which will be held in Cebu later this month.

This is the first time that the ICCCE, which carries the theme “Where the World Meets the Philippines,” will be held outside Metro Manila. Now on its ninth year, the ICCCE 2013, which has been touted as the biggest conference and expo of its kind in the world, is set to bring together the biggest names in the global contact center industry. More than 60 chief executives of global and local contact centers have confirmed their attendance to the three-day event.

ICCCE 2013 will also showcase the host province Cebu, currently ranked No. 8 among the world’s top 10 contact center destinations. Five others—Davao City, Sta. Rosa in Laguna, Iloilo City, Bacolod City and Baguio City—joined Manila and Cebu in the Top 100 Outsourcing Destinations global list released by Tholon’s research firm in January 2013.

“It is with great pride that we bring the world’s largest contact center conference to Cebu to open its doors to the world of global outsourcing. Cebu has much to offer by way of its talented and friendly people, modern infrastructure, and sound business climate,” Hernandez said.

“This year’s ICCCE carries new features relevant to industry professionals and is a must-attend event to spot business opportunities in the growing Philippine contact center industry,” he added.

Hernandez noted that the local contact center industry remained vibrant and robust despite the fever-pitch competition worldwide.

There are more than 800 contact centers in the Philippines employing half a million Filipino professionals. Every year, around 100,000 Filipinos are added to the industry’s workforce and this is expected to grow to 800,000 employees by 2016.

“The contact center industry continues to post growth every year. In 2012, the industry grew 19 percent and chalked up revenues of $8.9 billion,” Hernandez said. “For the Philippines to remain as the leading contact center destination in the world, the industry needs the support of government and local utility providers to replicate this annual growth.”