Is Cebu the next Manila?

Ever since the beginning of the call center industry in the Philippines,  when people think of a Philippine call center they think of Manila. It probably stems from the fact that many people outside the Philippines haven’t heard of any other cities and Manila was the birthplace of business process outsourcing in the Philippines. The cost saving companies can capture by moving their telemarketing and inbound customer support to this thriving metropolis is now well known.

What about the rest of the country?

It wasn’t often we heard about Cebu, the second largest city and major shipping port.But as Bod Dylan said the times they are a changing.

Many U.S. companies who are looking to outsource are now seeing the benefits of moving their BPO programs to Cebu instead of Manila.The island boasts a population of about 3.5 and most speak English very well.Cebu graduates 20,000 students annually from its universities and offers a strong, educated labor pool.

Cebu is exploding with job growth in the call center industry because of their strong English skills and high productivity. Job creation has been very strong in the outsourced customer service field. But call center agents are also finding work in sales lead generation, as virtual personal assistants and surveys.

Cebu has become a destination for educated job seekers from all over the Visayas, which are the southernmost islands in the Philippines.The call center industry in Cebu is also being helped by the islands infrastructure which rivals Manila in its high speed data connections to the rest of the world.

Cebu is not in an earthquake zone or typhoon belt, and there are no volcanoes on the island. Cebu has beautiful beaches, rich coral reefs and has become a destination for international travelers. Business leaders in the U.S. who are looking for a Philippines business process outsourcing center are smart to look to Cebu not just for its call center expertise but also for the beauty of the Philippines second largest city.