‘It’s business as usual in PH,’ BPO group assures members

The IT-Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) is moving quickly to assure foreign outsourcing companies that “despite all the (political) noise, there is no real threat to businesses” in the country.

In a letter sent to member companies in mid-September, IBPAP immediately sought to clarify President Duterte’s pronouncements, which have caused some concerns among IT-business process management (IT-BPM) companies. The particular incident the group was addressing then were his remarks about wanting the US special forces out of Mindanao.

“Please note that despite all the hype and speculation, President Duterte’s statements on the US have not translated into policy changes. The Department of Foreign Affairs (has) clarified that there will be no change in policy entered into between the Philippines and the United States despite President Duterte’s pronouncement that elite American forces must leave Mindanao,” IBPAP said in the letter sent to its members.

“Thus far, no IBPAP member has reported any impact on operations being experienced in the country and our industry is on ‘business-as-usual’ mode. IBPAP continues to be in close coordination with our partners in government (particularly the departments of trade and industry, of information and communications technology, of labor and employment and of finance) to relay our members’ questions and concerns. They have been and continue to be strong and reliable partners of our industry,” the IBPAP added.

The group pointed out that Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. himself made a clarification that President Duterte’ s remarks were in the context of “wanting to save the lives of these Americans who might be exposing themselves to unnecessary risks but this should not be understood as a statement to mean that there is now a shift in policy.”

IBPAP likewise cited in its letter the remarks of US Ambassador to the Asean Nina Hachigian, who was quoted as saying that “the US-Philippines relationship is one of the most enduring and important relationships that we have in the Asia-Pacific” and that she “fully expects” the alliance “will endure and remain strong because it is in the great interest of both nations to maintain it.”