Ignore political noise, DICT tells BPO players

Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Rodolfo Salalima is urging investors in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry to ignore the political noise and continue to invest in the Philippines.

Speaking before members of the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) yesterday, Salalima assured BPO players would be protected and taken careof under the current administration.

“To the BPO industry, the Philippine government envisions a developed nation that will be dubbed as a world- class ICT service provider. Together, we will work on this,” Salalima said.

“Forget the political noise. The President is sincere and a very humane person. But he is also very sensitive one. It is just the way he talks but your President is very sincere as far as the BPO industry is concerned,” he added.

Duterte’s verbal assaults against the United States have caused anxiety in recent weeks among several American investors, particularly those in the BPO space.

The I B PA P, which last week requested a dialogue with the President, said the industry’s concerns we re more on a need for clarification on the pronouncements of being made by the country’s chief executive.

In response to this, Salalima assured the industry the government, through the DICT, would continue what has been started with regard to the development of the BPO industry.

“Contracts that have been enforced and still existing shall be respected and will continue until their full implementation,” he said.

“Time and again, he (Duterte) has confided to me about the fact that he really cares for business. With this I assure you that the BPO industry will be protected not only by me but by the President and the government. Nothing bad will happen to you for as long as you do business in the country,” Salalima added.