IBPAP condemns DOLE over premature naming of BPO firms in Cebu quake
MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) has strongly condemned the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region VII for prematurely naming several business process outsourcing (BPO) firms that allegedly received work stoppage orders following the recent earthquake in Cebu.
Industry group slams “irresponsible” disclosure
In a statement, IBPAP said it “denounces this irresponsible declaration by DOLE Region VII, which prematurely named companies without the benefit of impartial investigation or validation.”
The group emphasized that such public disclosures, made during a Senate Committee on Labor and Employment hearing, run contrary to the principles of fairness and good faith expected from a government agency that serves both workers and employers.
IBPAP warned that the premature naming of companies “damages reputations, causes confusion among employees, and creates undue alarm among global clients whose confidence directly impacts investment, business continuity, retention, and creation in the Philippines.”
The group also noted the international repercussions of DOLE’s statement, saying it could lead BPO clients to view the Philippines as “unreliable, inconsistent, and non-compliant in its regulatory practices.”
This perception, IBPAP said, “erodes confidence, drives business to competing destinations, and jeopardizes the very jobs and revenues the Philippine IT-BPM industry has worked hard to secure.”
IBPAP calls for clarification and accountability
Following the incident, IBPAP said it has been in active communication with DOLE’s National Capital Region office to obtain the official list of companies involved, as well as supporting complaints or reports made by the BPO Industry Employee Network (BIEN). However, it lamented that “no documentation has been provided to date,” leaving the group unable to investigate or respond to the allegations properly.
Among the six companies named in the Senate report, four are IBPAP members. The association said it immediately sought explanations from these firms, none of which confirmed that employees were prevented from leaving during the quake or forced to return to their workstations without safety clearance.
IBPAP also questioned the impartiality of DOLE Region VII’s inspection process, noting that “a BIEN representative accompanied DOLE during this inspection,” despite BIEN’s “highly biased stance against IT-BPM employers.”
The group urged DOLE to thoroughly investigate the matter and rectify its records to remove the names of companies that were wrongfully included in the report.
Outsourcing industry stability at stake
The IT-BPM sector employs 1.9 million Filipinos and contributes nearly US$40 billion to the economy annually. Analysts note that investor trust is one of the industry’s strongest assets, and incidents like this could undermine that stability. Ensuring regulatory transparency and coordination between the public and private sectors remains crucial to maintaining the Philippines’ global reputation as a reliable outsourcing destination.
By addressing misinformation and strengthening accountability, the industry can continue to safeguard the jobs, livelihoods, and investor confidence that have long powered the country’s economic growth.
