Let’s say you’re interested in outsourcing and are planning to hire a virtual assistant. When people think of Business Process Outsourcing, usually the first place they think of is India. Have you ever considered the Philippines? Why would you? For two huge reasons: 1) the region and 2) the people. First, let’s examine why the Philippines is such an excellent region for the virtual assistant industry.

The Philippines is located in the center of the fastest growing economic region in the world: Asia. Besides having an open economy that is very business friendly, the Philippines offers outsourcing companies much lower overhead costs on everything from office space to equipment. In fact, overhead costs in the Philippines can be 50% lower or more than in the United States. You can outfit a huge office space in Manila for a fraction of the cost of a tiny office in a major U.S. city. The cost of labor is also much cheaper. Typically, Filipino workers earn less than 1/5 of U.S. workers. Virtual assistant companies can pass this savings onto you.

The government of the Philippines has poured in tremendous resources to develop their infrastructure for continued global growth. A good example of their commitment is their highly developed communication system. The high efficiency communication infrastructure features redundant international connectivity 24/7 with fiber optic cable as the main support network with satellite as a backup. The Philippine government is also upgrading power grids to provide adequate and uninterrupted electricity.

The best reason for hiring a virtual assistant from the Philippines is the talent and character they possess. The highly regarded Filipino workforce is one of the most compelling reasons to outsource to the Philippines. English is a second language that is taught in all schools, eliminating many of the communication problems associated with outsourcing in other countries. Filipino’s give education a high priority in their society and it shows; their impressive literacy rate of 94.6% is among the highest in Asia! Many college graduates in the Philippines hold degrees in sought after fields like computer science.

An excellent example of the priority of education in the Philippines is the province of Iloilo. This province alone produces an astounding 18,000 university graduates every year! There are 6 major universities in Iloilo:

· University of Iloilo

· Central Philippines University

· St. Paul’s University

· West Visayas State University

· University of the Philippines in the Visayas

· University of San Agustin

According to Rolly Gambol, Executive Director of the Iloilo Federation for IT, a recent study showed Iloilo to be a competitive location due to a low cost of living, peace and order, and a good supply of manpower from the universities.

There you have it. Skilled, educated virtual assistants for a great price. If you need outsourcing, look for companies that can provide a virtual assistant from the Philippines. You just might be surprised at the value you receive.