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Practice News
RP is window to Asia-Pacific
outsourcing industry
ComputerWorld - March 30, 2006
by April B. Rojales
THE Philippines, as a destination for offshore investments, never
looked better as it does now. No longer capitalizing on human
resource alone, the country now has all the facilities to support an
outsourcing industry—be it for contact centers, for software
developers, for data transcriptionists, for animation houses, or for
engineers.
While the quality human resource pool is what made the country an
attractive offshore contact center in the first place, it is just
the tip of the iceberg in the country’s outsourcing edge. A study
conducted by the Swiss International Institute for Management
Development (IIMD) revealed that—among 60 countries in the
Asia-Pacific region—the Philippines ranked first in the availability
of skilled workers, out of a total labor force of 33 million.
The country also ranked third in the availability of senior
managers; ranked fourth in the availability of IT professionals;
ranked 10th in the availability of accounting and financial skills;
ranked 10th in the availability of expatriate middle management; and
ranked 12th in qualified engineers.
Reliable infrastructure support and the strategic location of the
Philippines are also major factors that play a part in making the
Philippines a window to the business process outsourcing industry in
Asia-Pacific.
Although the IIMD findings show that the labor force is the
country’s BPO competitive edge, the Philippines also boasts of
reliable infrastructure support. Assistant vice president and
business head of the corporate group of the Philippine Long Distance
Telephone Co., Katrina Luna-Abelarde said that the country has a
stable power supply with excess capacity over current demand, and a
redundant international connectivity that could support offshore
businesses.
“We have an expanding multimedia infrastructure that offers 24/7,
365 days support. We have a deregulated telecommunications industry
that is stable, robust, and highly scalable. We also have a presence
of dedicated IT parks right in the center of business districts,”
said Luna-Abelarde.
Optimal real-estate options are also available in the country. Some
of the international property management companies like FPD Savills,
CB Richard Ellis, and Colliers offer low rates with liberal lease
agreement terms.
Another factor in the Philippine advantage is its strategic location
in Asia. “The country is reachable by air within four hours from any
Asian capital—Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur,
Taiwan, Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta, and Beijing,” said Luna-Abelarde.
Attractive investment incentives also boost the country’s advantage.
Luna-Abelarde cites the four to eight years’ income tax holiday (ITH)
as one of the examples. “We also have a special 5% tax rate after
the lapse of ITH for ecozone locators. We have a tax and duty
exemption on imported capital equipment,” she added.
Luna-Abelarde also stressed the importance of strong government
support in the country’s BPO industry. “We have a Commission on
Information and Communications Technology, a national agency on ICT
focused on policy planning. We have the e-commerce law, an
intellectual property code, and a public telecoms law”.
Contact Us
___________________________________
You're invited to call us to discuss
your Outsourcing concerns. We shall be glad to talk with you over
the telephone, or in our office or yours, whichever is easiest for
you. You can also e-mail us at
gtalaw@gtalawphil.com and we shall get back to you
immediately.
GUZMAN TAÑEDO & ACAIN
Mile Long Building 316
Legaspi Village
Amorsolo Street
Makati City
Telephone: 8941441
TeleFax: 8124296
e-mail:
gtalaw@gtalawphil.com
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