More BPOs expand outside of Metro Manila
A significant increase in provincial office transactions driven by business process outsourcing (BPO) firms’ expansion has been observed by professional services and investments management firm Colliers.
In its recent Q3 2022 Philippine Property Market Briefing, Colliers noted that their research data showed a significant increase in provincial office transactions quarter-on-quarter.
According to Tricia Pacete, Colliers Market analyst, their data showed that an additional 63,000 square meters (sq.m.) of office spaces were transacted in the third quarter of 2022, reaching a total space of 145,000 sq.m. for the first nine months of the year. She noted that 56 per cent of these transactions were made by BPO companies.
“This development has encouraged many BPOs to expand their office footprint outside Metro Manila, and fast track the setup of operations in the provinces, long been seen as an untapped resource for BPO players talent wise. Now with the mandate to implement WFH [work-from-home] setups, BPOs are chasing after talents who prefer to settle back in their hometowns,” Pacete said.
She noted that Cebu is still the top provincial destination favored by BPOs, recording approximately 34,000 sq.m. of office transactions, followed by Davao at 21,000 sq.m., and Pampanga with 9,000 sq.m.
To date, the biggest IT-BPM employers in the Philippines are Concentrix, Accenture, Teleperformance, Alorica, and the Sitel Group.
