The Philippines is considered one of the world’s hubs for business process outsourcing (BPO). Because of this distinction, it didn’t take long for companies wanting to establish a foothold in the industry to build or rent BPO facilities in the country.
Today, Metro Manila has become a saturated market of BPO offices and call centers. As BPO continues to grow exponentially, the need to find new locations with the same amenities, accessibility, and potential will be a pressing issue.
Enter Clark in Pampanga, which is poised to become the next BPO hub in the Philippines—for good reasons. Here are several ways that can put Clark on the map as another world-class BPO destination.
1. Accessible via major highways and airports
A neighboring city north of Manila, Clark boasts an excellent location, which is a primary consideration for BPO executives. Visiting clients don’t need to travel far to reach their offshore team’s site since Clark is just an hour or so away from Manila via major highways, including the ones in North Luzon and Central Luzon.
Travelers can also fly in just as easily from the nearby Clark International Airport. And with the continuous infrastructure building and upgrading around the area, Clark will only become more and more a dream location where traffic congestion is never a problem for BPO companies, partners, and employees.
2. Property developments in the area
Over the last few years, multinational corporations have been taking up staggering amounts of office spaces in Clark. In fact, next to Manila, Clark has the second-highest office take-up—meaning tenants are paying to have a space to hold office.
This is a clear indication that the area is ripe for BPO operations. Big names in real estate development are setting up buildings and facilities comparable to those in Manila in terms of architectural design or structural quality. It’s not surprising then that companies are excited to make Clark their next office address.
3. Booming central business district
Clark is home to Clark Global City, a mixed-use development project that’s envisioned to be one of the premier business districts not just in the Philippines but also in Asia. The goal is to make Clark Global City a city like no other by giving local and foreign investors everything they need to run their business in one place.
As such, developers of Clark’s business zone are bringing in a complete ecosystem where essential facilities like telecommunications, water and power supply, hotel and tourism services, and more are readily available to support the hub’s economic activities.
4. Multilingual population
A good majority of BPO work involves communicating with foreign counterparts. This makes the ability to use, speak, or write different languages a must for BPO employees.
Clark boasts a multilingual workforce, owing to the fact that for decades, Clark Air Base served as America’s largest military airbase outside the United States. This long-standing exposure to the Western culture and various other nationalities has been a good training ground for Clark residents to be well-versed in foreign languages, making them popular in the BPO industry.
5. Competent labor pool
A recruitment agency in the Philippines will have no trouble finding talents to work in Clark as BPO employees or skilled professionals in other related industries. Clark’s labor pool mostly comprises homegrown talent, although there are also representatives from nearby provinces or regions.
Young, educated, and talented, they like working in Clark because they can get decent wages, travel back and forth between home and office, and experience an overall good quality of life.
6. Freeport economic zone
Being located in a Freeport zone like Clark offers certain privileges for companies. If you have a registered business in Clark, you can enjoy tax credits, additional deductions from your taxable income, VAT exemptions, and other government incentives.
That’s why many startup investors choose to bring their business to Clark, as it gives them a better level playing field by means of lower operational costs.
7. High-speed internet
BPO operations depend on robust information and communications technology, and Clark takes things to the next level in this area. For people managing it, interconnectivity is a priority if Clark were to be a city of the future.
By investing in fiber optic internet technologies, Clark has one of the fastest internet speed services in the county, but the costs remain affordable in global standards. These welcome features enable BPO firms in the Philippines to deliver superior inbound and outbound customer care for their clients and business partners.
Clark as the Next-Generation BPO Hub
For Clark, the road to becoming the next BPO hub in the Philippines—and possibly Asia—is on. The available opportunities, technology, infrastructure, and talent pool in the area make it the perfect starting point for BPO investors while contributing to the country’s economic growth.
