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CEBU CITY, Philippines ? The Cebu Education Development Foundation for Information Technology (Cedf-IT) signed a declaration in Iligan City in November with nine ICT councils to strengthen the Philippines? bid as a leading outsourcing destination.
Cedf-IT executive director Bonifacio Belen said 10 ICT councils signed the Iligan declaration creating the National ICT Conference of the Philippines, a venue where to exchange best practices in the industry.
?It is really not competition anymore but ?coopetition?,? he said.
?The market requirement is so big that every one can have a share. It's one for all, all for one,? Belen told Cebu Daily News.
Coopetition, which is coined from the words cooperation and competition, means that competitors can benefit more when they work together.
Belen said the 10 ICT councils who signed the declaration are from Iligan, Bacolod, Metro Clark in Pampanga, Quezon City, Albay, Iloilo, Cebu, Cagayan De Oro, Davao and General Santos.
Belen said they hope to engage the other 18 ICT councils such as Baguio, Dagupan and Urdaneta which are currently being formed with the support of the Commission of Information and Communication Technology (CICT).
The CICT is headed by Ray Anthony Chua as chairman.
?The goal of the National ICT Conference is for all us to collaborate on how we can better improve the Philippines in being the destination for outsourcing operations...that we continue to take the lead in this aspect,? he said.
Belen also reiterated his contrary views to growing speculations that the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the country will suffer because of the protectionist mindset of US president-elect Barack Obama, who favors keeping US jobs.
?Many of these contracts were already laid down before (the economic crisis) and we are confident that the less hit industry in this crisis is ICT.?
?Medyo reactive lang siguro yung mga nagsasabi na ICT will suffer. Of course, there is no crystal ball that can predict what will happen in the future but at present, there are no indicators that will lead to such pullout (of companies from locating in Cebu or the country),? he added.
Belen said small and medium scale companies in the US will be the ?moving factor? in the movement of BPO companies in locations such as the Philippines, where they can reduce costs.
He said smaller companies will find ways to maximize resources while reducing operation costs, especially labor.
Cebu will also continue to be an attractive destination for most BPO companies as the Business Process Association of the Philippines revealed that the demand is only 50 percent filled, said Belen.
?That being said, it means that we can still double our employment capacity. That is also a clear indication that jobs will still be available for the industry.? /Reporter Cris Evert B. Lato
