PHL’s BPO sector unfazed by protectionism — Convergys exec

The Philippine business process outsourcing (BPO) sector is unfazed by recent protectionist statements in overseas markets, Convergys Corp. said on Tuesday.

"There are businesses that continue to outsource offshore in the Philippines, so we have not seen the protectionist environment really impact the business," Convergys Asia Pacific president Ivic P. Mueco told GMA News Online on the sidelines of the Philippines-Australia ASEAN Forum in Pasay City.

United States President Donald Trump was earlier been reported to have a protectionist stance, calling on American companies to stop outsourcing jobs overseas, which some economists expected would hurt the local BPO sector.

"If you think about protectionism, at least we haven't felt it," Mueco said, who noted that while some companies decided to move back onshore, this may not necessarily be driven by Trump's stance.

"For example, you have companies moving their work back onshore or back to US, or nearshore which is nearer to the US, and it has nothing to do with the political situation," she said.

"It has something to do with what the organizations want to do with their own business," she added.

According to Mueco, while the several clients have decided to move back to the US, the company has also scored new clients.

"It's just some of clients, they need to move back onshore and that's normal, every year that happens. There are some who would say that it's part of their business," she said.

"We also win clients to continue to bring their business here. Nao-offset lang," she added. — BM, GMA News