The Philippine Business process outsourcing continues to thrive despite fluctuating peso

The Philippine business process outsourcing (BPO) industry will continue to thrive despite evident peso appreciation, according to Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) president Benedict Hernandez.

Hernandez acknowledges that while the strong currency could compromise the competitiveness of Philippine-based BPO firms, the country is still poised to lead the industry with its high value proposition that goes beyond cost reduction. Officials are selling the Filipino brand as a whole which highlights the Filipino culture, language, level of service, proficiency, and talent. Hernandez adds that there is still a significant interest from foreign investors to outsource their business process needs to the Philippines because of these factors.

Despite this, a group of BPO firms threatened to pull out their businesses should the peso continue to strengthen against the dollar. Their concern is validated by Goldman Sachs International Inc. that projected the currency’s further strength at 37.5 pesos per dollar by the first quarter of 2014.

Yet Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) deputy executive director Gillian Joyce Virata remains confident that the country will meet the $25 billion projected revenue and 1.3 million BPO workforce by 2016, in accordance with the revised 2012-2016 BPO roadmap. This positive perspective is shared by Everest Group which hails the Philippines as a mature location for IT-BPO services.

Meanwhile, BPO companies such as Open Access BPO continue to strengthen their voice and non-voice services, particularly in customer support, call center services, and telemarketing.