No BPO pullout yet despite Duterte remark on US ties — DTI

President Rodrigo Duterte. AP File Photo

No business processing outsourcing (BPO) company has left the country following President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration that the Philippines would “separate” from the United States, an official of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said on Monday.

“Wala pa ho tayong namomonitor na nag pull out sa BPO (We haven’t monitored any BPO company that has pulled out),” DTI Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo told reporters after attending a budgeting hearing in the Senate.

“On the contrary ho, may mga nag e-expand nga ho dito e. Saka tandaan ho natin pagdating sa BPO, hindi lang US yan although sila ang pinakamalaki, meron kang Australian market, meron kang Europe market so marami hong pumupunta dito,” he said.

(On the contrary, there are companies which have expanded. And let us remember that when it comes to BPO, it’s not only from the US although it has the biggest number, we have others like Australian market, Europe market so a lot of countries invest here.)

Despite Duterte’s pronouncements against the US, Rodolfo said nothing has changed in government’s policies, particularly on economic and trade investments.

He said the government continues to encourage investors to come into the country, particularly those in the BPO, which he said has employed about 1.3 million Filipinos.

“So in terms of policy, tuloy-tuloy ho yung policy natin dyan tapos pangalawa ho wala ho tayong sinasabi na nag disengage tayo sa US (So our policy continues and second, we didn’t say we have disengaged from the US),” Rodolfo said.

He admitted though that there were some businessmen who were asking questions because of the statements that were coming out in the media.

“Syempre nagtatanong ho sila dahil yung mga statements na lumabas sa media medyo colored na, pagdating ho sa media. So nagtatanong ho sila, ini-explain naman natin (Of course, they are asking because the statements published in the media are colored. They are asking and we explain),” said the official.

So far, Rodolfo said the American Chamber of Commerce was the only one that has expressed apprehensions over Duterte’s tirades against the US.

As to some senators’ apprehension of the President’s statement that the country would separate from the US, the official said they have not seen an “actual impact” yet.

READ: Senators caution Duterte on implications of PH-US split

He said the Philippines remains the fastest-growing country and it would continue to show the world that its policy is “stable.”

“Yung policy tuloy-tuloy ang direction, tuloy tuloy yung liberalization, tuloy-tuloy yung pag honor natin sa lahat ng mga agreements, sa lahat ng mga kontrata, kung ano man yung pinirmahan dati so yun ang ini-explain natin. Yung mga bagay na importante talaga sa mga negosyante, yun ang ini-explain natin,” Rodolfo said.

(The policies on liberalization continue and we continue to honor all agreements and contracts which were signed before so we explain. We explain the matters that really concern the businessmen.)

He noted that the President, in his previous statements, made no mention about any change in economic policy. RAM/rga

READ: Duterte: Separation with US doesn’t mean cutting diplomatic ties

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