U-K firm gives RP's BPO sector high marks

The country's growing outsourcing industry was cited in the first Oxford Business Group report on the Philippines.

Covering the Philippine economy and industries, including mining and politics, the 200-page report details the results of year-long research and interviews done by the United Kingdom-based research, consulting and publishing firm said Caroline Couronne, country director of Oxford Business Group.

The report highlighted the hiccups which the information technology industry has experienced through the years. But it also pointed out the "runaway success" of the local outsourcing and offshoring industry. It also noted the increasing broadband Internet coverage in the country, led by top telecommunications firms.

The report also made mention of programs of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) to improve access for the general population. It suggested that the IT industry and the government in general should resolve two key issues affecting the local IT industry: the national broadband network (NBN) scandal involving Chinese supplier ZTE Corp., and the need for a Department of Information and Communications Technology.

"The ZTE scandal not only delayed the arrival of enhanced access to the Internet for the majority of Filipinos, but also created a rift in relations between the industry and the government," the report said. "There are signs, however, that the rift is being healed, and that the private sector, seeing healthy heretofore unmet demand in the market, will cooperate with government requirements to roll out better Internet services across the country, in whatever form is most appropriate."

On the creation of an ICT department, the report said that the industry in general believes that the creation of this high-level office would enhance transparency in the IT industry, and help government push its ICT agenda.

"However, given strong growth in areas such as Internet penetration and a palpable desire in both the public and private sectors to further the market, the Philippines' IT sector has nowhere to go but up," the report said.