The Philippines has a set of advantages which can curve the threat of rising American protectionism in the outsourcing sector, said experts.
Ike Amigo, head of the Philippine association representing outsourcing companies, said in an interview with Bloomberg that the only solution to achieve their goals is for the industry to move forward by offering higher-skilled jobs in areas such as animation, medical, legal and game development.
Philippine outsourcing revenue surged 160 percent in the past six years to an estimated $23 billion in 2016 and is forecast to rise to $39 billion by 2022. It is projected to provide 1.8 million jobs by then, about 4 percent of total employment.
These numbers, however, are threatened to slip at its lowest because of the new US administration’s “America first” policy.
Claiming that the new US administration has posed a big risk for BPO revenue in the country, some economists claim that the sector will have to contend with that challenge.
But Amigo believes that Filipinos will rise up to this, despite uncertainties in the global market.
He said more international companies still highly consider the many advantages of staying here, with the country’s cheaper wages, accent-neutral English language skills, and affinity with customer service and familiarity with American culture. -KCO
