Cebu City to celebrate inaugural BPO day on April 1
CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES — The Cebu City Council recently proposed the establishment of an annual “BPO Day” to honor the business processing outsourcing (BPO) industry’s substantial contributions to the local economy.
Proposed to be celebrated every April 1, this initiative is spearheaded by City Councilor Pancrasio Esparis to recognize the industry’s pivotal role in sustaining the city’s economy, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
During a public consultation, Esparis highlighted the BPO sector’s resilience, maintaining operations through a work-from-home setup when most businesses were shuttered.
“Countless economic lives have been changed because of it,” Esparis remarked, emphasizing the industry’s ongoing contribution to employment and the city’s revenue.
The proposed BPO Industry Day Ordinance of 2023 seeks to commemorate the day when BPO workers were allowed to return to on-site work amidst the pandemic, marking a significant milestone in the industry’s history. The Department of Manpower Development and Placement is set to organize the celebration.
The ordinance awaits its third and final reading for official approval.
Concentrix Philippines Executive Director Hazel Aguisanda expressed gratitude for the city government’s recognition, noting it as a first in her 20 years in Cebu.
With Concentrix employing around 10,000 individuals in the city, Aguisanda anticipates more collaborative efforts to bolster Cebu’s economy further.
However, Cebu Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) Organization Vice President Darwin John Moises proposed celebrating BPO Day on March 28 instead to honor the day the industry adapted to a work-from-home model due to the lockdown.
Moises also suggested renaming the celebration to IT-BPM Day to reflect the industry’s evolution beyond traditional call centers.
Cebu is among the largest outsourcing hubs in the Philippines. In a recent report by real estate professional services Colliers Philippines, Cebu’s office space market was forecasted to have strong and sustained growth in 2024, driven by expanding BPO companies.
