Philippines aims to remain call center capital of the world

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Call center industry leaders expects to boost its revenues to nearly $15 billion by 2016, sustaining its 3-year lead over rival India

MANILA, Philippines – Call center industry leaders expects to boost its revenues to nearly $15 billion by 2016, sustaining its 3-year lead over rival India.

The Philippines, which already hosts global giants Accenture, Convergys, IBM, NTT Docomo and Hinduja, is attracting more and more like-minded companies, Contact Center Association of the Philippines head Benedict Hernandez said on Tuesday, September 18.

“The reality is we have established ourselves as the pre-eminent brand in call centers,” he told reporters at the sidelines of an industry conference.

(For the Live Blog of the 2012 International Contact Center Conference in Manila, click here.)

The Philippines has overtaken India as the top voice outsourcing destination and has earned a reputation for being the call center capital of the world.

The sector passed India in revenue terms in 2009 and in manpower terms in 2010, according to industry figures.

Revenues from this voice-based business are projected at $8.4 billion in 2012 with 493,000 people employed, Hernandez said. Turnover is expected to rise to $14.7 billion by 2016, employing 862,000 people, he added.

Jobs: 1.3 million by 2016

During the Economic Managers meeting on Monday, September 17, Hernandez said that the entire industry — voice-based (call centers) and non-voice-based — created 638,000 direct jobs in 2011. 

They intend to double this to 1.3 million direct jobs by 2016.

They also intend to hit revenues worth $25 billion by 2016.

(For the Live Blog of the 2012 Mid-Year Philippine Economic Briefing, click here.)

Cost advantage

Hernandez said that even the sharp appreciation of the Philippine peso against the Indian rupee in recent months, as well as attractive tax incentives offered by other countries, is not expected to dampen interest.

“We don’t want the peso to further strengthen to maintain cost advantage. We don’t want our cost to be different from other markets like India,” Hernandez said.

The ideal rate is P42 to $1, he said. “We want to see it at the P42 level. Forty-two is like our magic number, just keep it at 42.”

Philippine call centres were also expanding their market from being predominantly English-speaking to other languages including Spanish, Japanese, German, Mandarin, French, Korean, Bahasa and Thai, he added. – Agence France Presse

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