In order for the Philippines to continue taking a bigger share of the burgeoning global BPO market, the 9th e-Services Global Sourcing Conference and Exhibition was held last February 9-10 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, and the City Government of Legazpi, Embarcadero and Legazpi City ICT Council took part in the event.

Organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) through its export promotions arm, the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), this annual conference is hailed as a high-profile assembly in the Asia Pacific where the brightest minds and the key players in the ICT and BPO arena converge to share their experiences, insights and expertise on best practices, industry innovations, emerging delivery locations, and market opportunities.

With the theme "Right move for the right results," the 9th e-Services Conference once again gathered both global and local industry leaders, decision makers and centers of excellence as they tackled the emerging issues, trends and new business models in the ICT/BPO industry. They discussed the future of the Philippine BPO and what are the strategies that must be undertaken to cushion the impact of the global financial crisis to the industry. They also highlighted the competitive position of the Philippines in the offshoring and outsourcing (O&O) market vis-à-vis India.

Despite the present global economic downturn, industry leaders expressed their positive outlook for the Philippines as they indicated that the country is still very much on track to becoming the global center of excellence in outsourcing.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in her keynote address during the conference said that the "BPO industry continues to boom as global cost cutting is sent to outsourcing". She also added that BPO and e-services are the economy’s key drivers, generating investments and jobs, alleviating poverty and improving the lives of the people.

This year’s conference also featured seminars, plenary sessions, business matching activities, and exhibit of IT products and services.

For the second time, the City Government of Legazpi, Embarcadero and Legazpi ICT Council headed by Rosemarie Q. Rey are among the exhibitors in this prestigious event. Legazpi City, being included in the Next Wave Cities showcased its ICT and BPO capabilities wherein the city’s potential as an ideal outsourcing location was presented by City Mayor Noel Rosal during the second day of the conference.

Among the highlights during the presentation of the Next Wave Cities was the interactive video conference between the Philippine’s ICT Councils and members of the New York Global Sourcing Council.

Given the much cheaper cost of talent and infrastructure in the countryside, the next wave cities or ICT hubs are regarded as strategic investment locations for ICT and BPO services especially in this challenging time of global financial condition wherein multinational companies are implementing cost-effective means to cope with the changing economic climate.

With the emergence of regional ICT hubs, the growth in the country’s BPO sector will be propelled further, enabling the Philippines to continuously be seen as -- in the words of Trade Undersecretary Thomas Aquino -- "a ‘BPO goldmine’ by businesses all over the world."