“Internally, awareness on IT-BPO and GIC [information technology-BPO, and global in-house centers] industry can be improved by marketing the industry; the private sector must lead this effort. Internationally, perception can be improved by marketing the industry; and, government must lead this effort,” Gillian Virata of the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) said.
Virata cited the group’s survey of 400 companies that revealed that 85 percent of all IT-BPOs expect to increase their work force in the next 12 months, while 56-percent project growth from 6 percent to 50 percent.
“All but three of 32 respondents with 1,000 seats project growth, most 6 percent to 50 percent,” Virata said.
However, she told the Business-Mirror that the country should be more aggressive in marketing to sustain such optimism.
According to the survey, marketing the Philippines’ IT-BPO and GIC workers will help, with 54 percent of respondents saying there will be meaningful impact, and 28 percent saying the impact would be substantial.
The poll, regularly done by BPAP thrice a year, also voted the Department of Trade and Industry as the government agency that should take the lead in this effort (47 percent), with BPAP as supporting (34 percent). About 9 percent said it should be the defunct Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT).
According to Virata, the poll commenced in May and was tallied in the first week of July. The CICT was dissolved end-June.
The industry’s lobby for marketing actually began a year ago, she explained to the BusinessMirror. BPAP estimated the cost to hit about P240 million.
The money, she said, would go to advertising placements in news television programs with international reach, posters in subway stations in the United States, Europe and Japan; and, other media outlets with global reach.
“But they [government] asked us to trim down the cost, which we did but saw that the effort may not reach very far.”
The need for marketing is based on the survey that said most foreign governments are generally aware of the Philippines’ IT-BPO and GIC industry but their understanding is limited.
Some 41 percent of the respondents said awareness among these officials and regulatory authorities, whose decisions may impact on the industry, are somewhat high. On the other hand, about 38 percent said the level of awareness is low.
In congruity, about 50 percent said the perception of foreign government officials and regulators on the Philippines’ industry is neutral, followed by 32 percent who said they think the perception is positive. Sixteen percent said there is a negative perception among these officials.
The marketing strategy may also be directed at parents who are not as aware or carry negative perception of the IT-BPO and GIC industry.
BPAP’s poll showed that 48 percent sees parents having a neutral perception of the industry, while 29 percent said it’s negative. Only 18 percent said parents have a positive perception of the industry.
More than a third of the respondents said parents’ awareness of the industry is somewhat high, while 36 percent said parents have a low awareness.
Virata said they are looking at tapping the P100-million fund that the Export Development Council (EDC) is making available for exporters.
However, she said the money is not enough since the IT-BPO and GIC sector is just one of the many who may avail themselves of the grant window.
Virata told the BusinessMirror they estimate the marketing cost for the industry to be more than the total amount of the EDC fund.
