Special Report: Burgeoning BPO sector at Clark Freeport a blessing to many

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga, May 29 – The Philippines’ business process outsourcing (BPO) industry continues to grow even amidst the global financial crisis as evidenced by the emerging new wave cities across the country.

In this free port, a strong BPO industry is shown by the increase in the number of residents gaining employment as call center agents and the bigger income of people in the grassroots level.

Alex Reyes, an executive of Cyber City in Clark Freeport, said call agents in his firm have been continuously increasing in number.

He relayed that more new college graduates and even undergraduates are being lured to work in various call centers in the country because of the growing number of these companies.

Recent reports showed that BPO industry players are now among the biggest employers in the country.

More new jobs are being offered in the sector around the country and the situation is not unlike in Clark Freeport, according to Reyes.

He noted that here, even newly employed call agents are being sent for free training in the United States and other parts of the world so that they would eventually be able to train other Filipino call agents.

Many call centers in Clark Freeport offer high salaries to attract more applicants, even those already employed in other companies.

Other sectors here likewise benefit from the burgeoning BPO industry. With the increasing number of workers in the sector comes more small businesses catering to their needs such as canteens. Notably, most call centers in Clark Freeport offer free meals to their employees.

Also worth mentioning is the benefit that trickles down to other groups, including the transport sector. Jun Flores said: “I have been working at Clark as a passenger jeepney driver for a number of years now and it is only this year that I have been able to send my four children to college because of my increased earning. My passengers have increased and most of them are working as call agents.”

Flores said some of them are his regular passengers who pay him on a monthly basis.

“Their payments are even enough for the matriculation fees and other expenses of my children in different colleges,” he added.

Other jeepney drivers said their wives can now buy things they need because of their increased daily earnings.

Alicia Bondoc, who sells “bananacue” (skewered fried, sugared cardava bananas) near the gate of Clark Freeport in Barangay San Francisco, Mabalacat, Pampanga, said because there are now many workers at call centers inside Clark, her sales also tremendously increased.

Bondoc, a single mother, said “nakaluwag-luwag po kami at nakapa-enrol ko ang aking anak na babae ngayon (we’re now better off financially and I was even able to enroll my daughter in college).”

Meanwhile, Julia David, who owns a canteen near a call center here, narrated that she has been raking in bigger profits since the workers increased in number in the BPO sector. (PNA) LAP/Amroxas/ps