Call Center City seen to rise at SRP
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña announced yesterday there are multi-billion companies that have expressed interest to invest in a call center at the South Road Properties (SRP).
He did not disclose the names of the companies to protect the city from those with “crab mentality” but these companies have expressed “positive and good” feedback for the establishment of what will be called the Call Center City.
The Call Center City will be a one-stop-shop for outsourcing with amenities to be offered to agents working there.
Osmeña said a program is being crafted to benefit those who will work at call centers and who have yet to finish school.
“We are packaging a program whereby a call center agent can finish college while still working. Later, they can even choose to pursue a master’s degree without resigning. The agent will work, study, and live all in the same building complex,” he said.
The so-called Call Center City will have movie theatres, restaurants, bars, and recreation facilities, among others, Osmeña said.
Once the plan is in place, the city will lease a 40-hectare portion at Pond A at the SRP where the Call Center City will be constructed.
Osmeña said that for the first 25 years the Call Center City will be operational, lease of the land will be for free since construction of the buildings will be at no cost to the city.
He hopes that the first building at the Call Center City will be built in the next two years.
For now, the city is gathering suggestions from call center agents on the best facilities that can be put up in the area.
“The BPO industry here has made the biggest impact to the ordinary Cebuano because there's a 150,000 call center agents benefiting from this,” Osmeña said.
Aside from call center agents, the Call Center City will also benefit out-of-school youth that will be trained in therapeutic massage.
“A call center agent is very stressed so while working, they can have a back massage. They have to pay the out of school youths,” he said.