In a span of eight years, the Philippine BPO sector has come a long way—from being a mere rookie in the BPO ballgame (having the capability to hire only 2,000 workers back in 2001)—into becoming a full-blown sunshine industry by 2009. Last year, the local BPO employment count was pegged at over 500,000 skilled workers, earning the country around US$7.3 billion in revenue, which made up 5 percent of the nation’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the year. That is indeed a sizable chunk coming from one sector alone.

This achievement is credited to the government’s recent initiatives to ensure and secure the global competitiveness of the local in information and communications technology and business processing outsourcing (ICT-BPO) sector. The government’s goal was to transform the Philippines into a “global powerhouse,” and to achieve this, efforts to standardize, design, and implement relevant training guidelines and programs have been religiously carried out by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in cooperation with the Business Process Association of the Philippines, the Medical Transcription Industry Association of the Philippines, the Animation Council of the Philippines, and the Philippine Software Industry Association. This undertaking was able to produce 25,846 graduates in 2009, of which over 90 percent have found their way in call centers. If this trend continues—considering our reliable infrastructure, excellent level of English proficiency, and high level of technical know-how—the Philippines is well on its way to becoming one of the top outsourcing destinations.

That is why this year, the future looks bright for college graduates—especially for those who want a career in the sunshine industry—with the numerous employment opportunities generated by the ongoing worldwide demand for ICT and BPO-related services.

source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/260266/business-process-outsourcing-sector-a-sunshine-industry