The Quezon City government is still eager on producing potential workforce for the business processing outsourcing (BPO) industry in spite of economic crash. This became apparent when the second chapter of a six-week free call center training program for underprivileged QC residents was launched at the Central Colleges of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa as the city government ascends to a continuing effort to provide constant pool talents in the outsourcing sector.

Manuel Sabalza, assistant city administrator for operations and chairman of the QC Information and Communication Technology/Business Process Outsourcing task force said that the city government would like to take advantage of the situation on an optimistic sense. About 1,000 call centre agents will be hired right away by BPO locators in Quezon City.

So far, the city-initiated call center proficiency program has already benefited 140 eligible residents since its launching will be in September of the current year. Beneficiaries will be given scholarship grants amounting to P15, 000 to cover payment for the training program with free meals and transportation allowance for the participants. From the 70 city residents trained in the first batch, half of them have already been provided BPO career-related jobs in different companies such as Sitel, Cipher, Sykes, NCO, Teletech, e-PLDT Ventures and PNI.  The city government hopes to generate manpower for the outsourcing and off-shoring sectors in the next two years. Quezon City has 28 ICT parks now which are registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA). The parks were originated from a pioneering cyberpark in Eastwood City. So far, the 38-hectare UP Science and Technology Park along Commonwealth Avenue is considered the biggest.

Together with India and Canada, the Philippines has recognized itself as one of the top countries in the BPO industry over the past few years. In the year 2007, the Philippines was branded as the Best Outsourcing Destination by the National Outsourcing Association of the Philippines.