Accenture leads Boom in Philippines Call Centers

By Michael Foster, Big4.com Blogger

More companies are following Accenture in setting up call centers in the Philippines, helping the archipelago nation to expand its white collar workforce and grow its economy.

Agence France-Presse reports that call centers in the Philippines are booming, with the industry growing to a value of $15 billion by 2016.

In 2012, revenues from call centers in the Southeast Asian country will reach $8 billion, according to Benedict Hernandez of the Contact Center Association of the Philippines. One of the first companies to establish a Philippines call center, Accenture has hired hundreds of people in centers in the country.

Other tech firms such as IBM, NTT Docomo of Japan, and Hinduja, a London-based conglomerate, have employed thousands in the nation. According to Hernandez, 493,000 people are employed in the sector currently, with estimates of that number growing to 862,000.

The move is primarily driven by cheaper labor costs, with salaries in the Philippines rarely exceeding $10 per day, although call center operates earn much more. However, Hernandez told reporters that business interest is also driven by the reliability of Philippines operations. “The reality is we have established ourselves as the pre-eminent brand in call centres,” he said.

The Philippines is also an attractive option for companies because the country has a large number of native English speakers, as well as a highly-educated group of young professionals who speak Spanish, Japanese, French, German, Chinese, and other regional languages.