The Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) is looking at Iloilo City as a new investment hub for business process outsourcing and information technology, according to its top official. In a presentation at the Iloilo-Guimaras Investment Forum Friday, BPAP CEO Oscar R. Sañez said Iloilo was third in BPAP’s Top 10 Next Wave Cities, due mainly to the low cost of doing business in the province and the availability of talents.

However, Iloilo has only 4,000 IT-BPO workers, which can be easily increased to 20,000 workers in today’s conditions, Sañez said. “Iloilo City has much untapped potential, a large graduate pool and low industry presence. [It] should have more IT-BPO jobs considering the size of its graduate pool,” he said.

Sañez explained that the National Capital Region has 25 percent of the country’s graduating population, but holds 80 percent of the IT-BPO jobs. In contrast, the Visayas, which accounts for 21 percent of all graduates, holds only 10 percent of the IT-BPO jobs. (more…)