Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The Trump administration’s policy of bringing jobs back to the United States shouldn’t be a cause for concern for the Philippine business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, the U.S. ambassador to the Philippines said.
“It’s a vibrant and very successful operation here in the Philippines,” Ambassador Sung Kim said Tuesday in an open forum at a meeting of the Makati Business Club. “Personally, I’m not terribly concerned that somehow we will see a big downturn in the BPO industry or the U.S. engagement in the BPO industry here anytime soon.”
U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to create 25 million new jobs over the next decade under his “America First” doctrine, which has worried business leaders outside the U.S.
Read: Trump vows 25 million jobs, most of any president
Around 70 percent to 80 percent of Philippine BPO clients are from the U.S., with the industry having over one million workers.
Watch: BPO industry to earn $40B (around ₱1.9T) by 2022
BPOs are also expected to generate around $39 billion (₱1.94 trillion) in revenue and employ around 1.8 million Filipinos by 2022.
Kim said U.S. companies would look at the competitive wages and “very dedicated” workforce in the Philippines over Washington’s domestic-centered policies.
“Filipino colleagues who work in BPOs speak fluent English,” Kim said. “And there’s also a very strong cultural affinity that drives U.S. companies to set up BPO operations here in the Philippines rather than other countries. And so, regardless of what policies may come out, all of those big advantages and positive, attractive factors that draw American companies to the Philippines will not change.”
Information and Communications Technology Secretary Rodolfo Salalima told BPO leaders in October 2016 that government will protect the BPO industry.
“Nothing bad will happen to you as long as you do business in the country,” Salalima said. “I assure you that the BPO industry will be protected not only by me, but by the President, by the government and by the country.”
CNN Philippines Correspondent Claire Jiao contributed to this report.
