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About 1,200 jobs are available in September with the opening of a call center company in Mandaue City.
Ryan Beattie, site director for Focus Direct Philippines, said the firm is encouraging both part-time and full-time employees and even working students to apply.
Beattie said Focus Direct Philippines was willing to offer working students a 70-percent subsidy for their tuition.
?There is just a ton of qualified people in the Philippines especially in Cebu,? said Beattie in a press conference at the Alpa Suites in barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City.
?That is why we chose to expand in Cebu,? he said.
Beattie, a Canadian, said Focus Direct Philippines has a branch in Bacolod City, Negros Occidnetal.
Its expansion in Cebu was a proof that the global recession was not affecting their firm primarily because they have a good marketing arm in the United States, he said.
The company is affiliated with Focus Services based in Utah, with major clients including Direct TV, Quest Internet Services and AT&T.
Beattie said their future office would be in barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue and would have 300 seats each floor.
He said two floors would be used upon initial operations. ?We will hire as many as we can.?
Beattie cited the number of good schools, communication facilities and the layout of the city as among the primary factors in choosing their Subangdaku office.
He said layout means easy access for their employees to and from work.
Vanessa Gay Nang, Management office of Focus Human Resources, said they would prefer those who had previous experience working in a call center but they would not close doors with beginners especially students.
She said the nature of their work would be inbound calls from clients in North America.
Beattie said the company?s benefits and salaries for their employees would compete with other call center firms in Cebu.
Focus Direct Philippines will accept applicants from Aug. 5 to Aug. 15 at the Alpa Suites near the boundary of sitio Panagdait, barangay Mabolo, Cebu City and Subangdaku, Mandaue City.
Beattie said their firm catered some other smaller businesses in the United States, including health products that can be purchased online.
?We serve as their customer services hotline,? he said.
Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, who was at the press conference, said that he welcomed Focus Direct's expansion in Mandaue City.
Cortes said the Mandaue City government would improve street lighting in the location of the call center and assign police and barangay tanods to secure the employees ? whose shifts would be mostly during the night.
Cortes also invited Focus Direct to join the Jobs Fair slated in the Mandaue Business Month and at the Charter Day Celebrations of Mandaue City next month.
He said the city government welcomed such types of firms in Mandaue City.
He said he would be offering an incentive package to attract investors like Focus Direct Philippines to Mandaue City.
