2 U.S.-based BPOs plan PH expansions

WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES — Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firms Atento and Optum want to expand their operations to the Philippines.
The two firms committed this during a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. at the Blair House in Washington, D.C.
Atento President Fili Ledezma Soto and Chief Delivery Officer Josh Ashby told Marcos they want to establish their first call center in the Philippines at the Iloilo Business Park in Mandurriao, Iloilo.
The President called this plan a step in the right direction as “Filipinos speak and write the best English.”
Meanwhile, Optum will invest around PHP800 million (US$14.5 million) in medical outsourcing services in the country.
John Prince, President and COO of Optum, lauded the firm’s long-term strategic partnership with the Philippines and said they remain committed to the country.
Since 2011, Optum, a part of UnitedHealth Group (UHG), has invested PHP5.1 billion (US$92.3 million) in capital expenditure across its sites in Taguig, Muntinlupa, Quezon City, and Cebu City.
Last March, the firm also met with the Philippine Board of Investments (BOI) to discuss details of their planned new project in Davao and queries on the importation of equipment.
Atento is Latin America’s leading customer relationship management and business process outsourcing (CRM BPO) services provider. The firm ranked #28 in the Time Doctor OA500, the world’s first objective index of the top 500 outsourcing companies.