Regional BPO workers may increase as remote work continues

An increase of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) employees from other regions are expected as remote working continues, said IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) President Jack Madrid.
During the Arangkada forum, Madrid stated that the industry was able to employ individuals from the Philippine countryside —particularly Bacolod, Davao, Iloilo, Dumaguete, and Baguio — due to the work-from-home (WFH) arrangement.
The IBPAP chief added that the Philippines is currently in a “unique position” to leverage Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and spread economic growth across the country.
Aside from employee headcount, IBPAP noted that the flexibility of remote work could also boost employee satisfaction, which could help reduce attrition, unscheduled absences and decongest the Metro Manila traffic.
Madrid added that the WFH arrangement is “here to stay” and is “not a one-time thing,” noting that the next six to 12 months are “critical on how we manage this next stage of growth for the industry.”
A recent IBPAP survey revealed that 56% of BPO providers expect to have double-digit growth in their workforce this year, six per cent project flat growth in headcount, while the remainder sees single-digit improvement.