EUROPEAN businessmen in the country are now actively helping local outsourcing and offshoring (O&O) firms land more contracts in Europe, as they believe the industry’s target of achieving a 10-percent share in global outsourcing revenues by 2010 will not be possible if the focus will remain solely in the US market.

Henry Schumacher, executive vice president of the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (ECCP), said their first task is to get the good developments that are happening in the Philippines known to Europe, especially now that the continent is getting mostly news about the country.

In fact, when you key in the Philippines on Google alert, 15 articles are about the coups, 10 on terrorism and Abu Sayyaf, 10 on typhoons and nine about murders.

Only nine are on the economic side, with three of them again bad news as they are about the problematic Fraport AG deal on the Ninoy Aquino Airport Terminal 3.

“We must be in touch with them. CEOs there do research, look at web sites, and go to missions.  We must build the Philippine franchise based on success stories,” Oscar Sañez, chief executive officer of the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP), said.

Already, the ECCP-initiated Team Europe has put up a web site dedicated for the Philippines.

Stephanie Weber, EITSC business development manager, said the Philippines has a good chance to take advantage of Europe, “but we have to show to them the IT industry here in the country.”

To do this, Weber said they will help the industry organize missions in Europe and find European companies with needs that matches the offerings of the Philippine BPOs.

Schumacher said Europe matters a lot if the country would want to achieve its target of cornering 10 percent of the global offshoring business by 2010.

Currently, he said the Philippines’ share in the $28-billion European outsourcing market is just 1.75 percent.

About 90 percent of the country’s BPO revenues are from the US.

Neil Elias, chief executive officer, Logica Global Service Delivery Philippines, said one big challenge in the European market is the belief in Europe that outsourcing equals India.

“Getting the name of the Philippines in Europe is critical to changing this mindset,” Elias said.

Schumacher said they will also be inviting European journalists to the country so they could write positive stories about the Philippines.

EUROPEAN businessmen in the country are now actively helping local outsourcing and offshoring (O&O) firms land more contracts in Europe, as they believe the industry’s target of achieving a 10-percent share in global outsourcing revenues by 2010 will not be possible if the focus will remain solely in the US market.

DAVAO CITY—From stopping all further conversion of agriculture lands to monitoring the expenditures of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the pork barrel of Congress representatives, a nongovernment group said the Arroyo administration must implement drastic policy measures to tide itself over  the rice crisis and preserve its hold on power.

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has formally asked the Department of Finance (DOF) to remove tariffs on agricultural inputs to help farmers cope with the spiraling cost of inputs such as fertilizer.

THE auto industry posted a 10.3-percent sales growth in the first quarter of the year as the market continues to remain strong despite rising fuel and food prices that may affect the decision to buy vehicles.

THE World Bank (WB) is willing to extend financial support of as much as $850 million to $900 million to the Philippines every year, starting the bank’s 2008 fiscal year.

SEVERAL agreements for the sale of National Transmission Corp.’s (Transco)sub-transmission assets to (STAs) five electric cooperatives have finally been approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) after a long delay.

APPARENTLY heeding the call of experts, the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) are now mapping areas where cheaper and subsidized rice should be sold.

ACCORDING to the National Statistical Coordination Board, a Filipino family of five needs a monthly income of P6,274 to stay out of poverty—that’s P206 daily or P75,288 annually. For Metro Manila, where the cost of living is higher, a family of five needs P282 a day or P102,830 a year to keep out poverty.