PCCI exec mulls BPO training centers in provinces

By Lawrence Casiraya
INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines -- An official of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) wants to promote the business process outsourcing (BPO) mindset among businessmen at the provincial level.

George Kintanar, PCCI ICT committee chairman, has proposed the establishment of local ICT "chapters" among businessmen to different local chambers of commerce nationwide.

Kintanar is also chairman of the Philippine USA Business Club (PUBC), which links with Filipino business communities in the United States.

"The plan is for PCCI/PUBC to create and establish ICT local chapters for businessmen nationwide," Kintanar said in his proposal sent via email.

"PCCI/PUBC should already identify BPO champions in the local business chambers of commerce all over the country and create BPO training centers of excellence," he added.

He noted that the emergence of the Philippines as a BPO destination was driven by word-of-mouth from satisfied customers overseas.

While demand is still high and the market for outsourced services still valued at "trillions of dollars," Kintanar noted that the country needs to invest in training in order to keep up with the great demand.

According to him, the problem is compounded by the departure of qualified Filipino workers for other countries, reaching about a million for 2006 alone.

Kintanar said: "My earlier advise to local businessmen then was to invest in back office provisioning but now we should also include BPO training centers to support the huge demand for human resource in the sector."

As for marketing the Philippines to investors, he said the large population of Filipino Americans abroad can be tapped as a "steady and continuous supply of BPO marketing advocates."

"While back home we continue our national BPO training programs through the educational institutions of learning which PCCI/PUBC intends to spread at the grassroots level," he said.