By Ding Cervantes (The Philippine
Star) Updated August 06, 2012 12:00 AM
CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga, Philippines
– The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is enticing call centers to
locate in Subic Freeport, citing its excellent facilities for business process
outsourcing (BPO) operations.
In an assembly meeting of the Business
Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) and the Contact Center
Association of the Philippines (CCAP), SBMA chairman Roberto Garcia expressed
optimism that Subic Bay will become “ the next place to be for information and
communication technology (ICT) businesses in the country.”
Garcia, who was invited by BPAP and
CCAP president Benedict Hernandez to talk about the advantages of investing in
Subic, also said the BPO industry continues to grow in the Philippines with
Subic likely to be a major ICT destination.
“BPO is the most vibrant industry in the
country today. And Subic is now ready to accommodate you as we gear towards
becoming ICT hub,” Garcia said.
He said Subic has complete ICT
facilities “in an environment where you will love to stay.” Proof of this is
the 44 BPO locators now in Subic Bay, which altogether employ some 2,400 call
center agents, he added.
Garcia said Subic now enjoys three-way
global connectivity, a link from fiber-optic cable network to satellite
transmission system, and microwave uplink services needed to set up an
international call center.
Most of all, he said the free port
zone has a 116-MW power plant, supplying the national grid and is working to
have a switch for this plant to supply the freeport to ensure continuous and
steady power supply should the grid go down.
To accommodate more BPO locators,
Garcia is offering a former assembly building of computer-maker Wistron
Infocomm Philippines inside the Gateway Park, an industrial estate managed by
the Subic Bay Development and Management Corp.
The building has plenty of office
space in a 10-hectare lot and is located near the Freeport’s Central Business
District, Garcia said.
Garcia also advised the BPO executives
that they can source out manpower elsewhere to fill up the seats for their call
centerprojects.
“You offer good jobs in one of the
best places in the country and you will attract people to come with you to
Subic,” he said.
Garcia explained that because of the
expected influx of thousands of BPO workers in Subic, the SBMA is planning to
build a workers’ dormitory, which can accommodate 8,000 workers near the
proposed ICT hub.
He added that the proximity of the
dormitory to the ICT hub will mean some P4,000 monthly savings on travel
expenses of call center agents, thereby making the cost of living in the Subic
Bay Freeport about 40 percent cheaper than in Manila.
Hernandez expressed optimism that
Garcia’s vision for an ICT hub in Subic is not far away from realization. He
noted that Subic is a beautiful place, which has attracted everyone.
Garcia closed his meeting with BPAP
and CCAP members with an invitation to them to visit Subic for a first-hand
view of the ICT hub program.
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