Recruitment industry joins forces with gov't to revitalize job opportunities, OFWs'
protection
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To shore up the overseas employment program in the midst of the global economic crisis, the
recruitment industry agreed to jointly pursue with government measures aimed at invigorating the
employment chances and capabilities of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to face the challenges
brought about by the global crisis.
Representatives of more than 150 land-based and sea-based recruitment industry stamped their
commitment to support job generation and preservation in a "communiqué" personally presented to
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Malacanang, Monday with the full backing of the Department of
Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), the
Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Overseas Workers Welfare
Administration (OWWA).
Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito D. Roque said the communiqué contains the list of measures
that the recruitment industry and concerned government agencies would jointly pursue to preserve the
employment of OFWs and at the same time generate jobs for other Filipinos wanting to work abroad.
The measures, he said, include 1) aggressive investments in skills training and skills enhancements, 2)
streamlining of recruitment processes and policies, 3) sharing of government and private sector registry
of workers, 4) strengthening welfare and protection mechanisms of workers, 5) review of prevailing salary
standards, and 5) conduct of bilateral missions for the protection of OFWs onsite.
Roque also said that the industry partners, in a series of recent consultations, assisted government in
identifying the myriad of concerns and suggested solutions to promote job preservation and job
generation in the land-based and sea-based areas overseas to be jointly conducted by the two sectors.
He said the two sectors agreed to vigorously build on programs geared on skills enhancement through
the continuous training of skilled workers, accreditation of more trade centers particularly in the regions,
strengthening of the on-the-job-training program, and promotion of public awareness on the need for
skills training through information dissemination and education at the grassroots level.
Industry associations also agreed to collectively invest resources in the establishment of training centers
with the full support of TESDA.
To facilitate hiring and placement of workers, Roque said the DOLE and POEA shall develop
mechanisms aimed at streamlining existing recruitment policies and procedures.
Other measures to be pursued, he added, also include human resource development initiatives such as
mutual recognition of skills, return-of-skills program to reverse brain drain, and review of existing salary
levels for skilled workers and professionals, onsite recruitment of displaced workers and those who have
finished contracts, make the DOLE registry of workers accessible online to the private sector, installation
of online interview facilities for foreign employers, provision of mobile passport services during job fairs.
Industry and government shall also jointly conduct labor market development missions. Labor market
development for both inbound and outbound are also planned to preserve and generate employment
opportunities for seafarers. Market intelligence gathering and research shall also be heightened as
partners and shipowners engage in "handholding" efforts and provide assurances about the quality of
Filipino seafarers.
Also a continuing priority program identified by the industry with government is the strengthening of the
welfare and protection of expatriate Filipino workers through the pursuit of ethical recruitment practices
and aggressive negotiations for more bilateral/multilateral labor and social security agreements.
Other important measures focused on the review of the standard/model employment contracts of
expatriate Filipino workers to enhance their working conditions, the need to address shortage of officers
in the seafaring business, facilitate registration of officers through walk-in examinations, and fast track the
implementation of rules on the conduct of management level course (MLC) and single examination
procedure.
Recent consultations attended by Philippine labor attachés from the Middle East, Europe and Asia also
called on strengthened efforts against illegal recruitment and human trafficking of expatriate Filipino
workers, and improvement of the competitiveness of Philippine vessels/ships lay-up areas by opening
more lay-up ports.
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PGMA to lead formal opening of Teletech's 4th BPO delivery center in Visayas
region
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ILOILO CITY – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is scheduled to visit Iloilo province tomorrow (Tuesday)
to lead the formal opening of Teletech’s business process outsourcing (BPO) delivery center at SM City
Iloilo, giving another boost to the administration’s job creation program in Western Visayas (Region VI).
The Iloilo facility is Teletech’s fourth BPO delivery center in the Visayas and the 12th all over the country.
Expected to welcome the President upon her arrival at the SM Iloilo premises are City Mayor Jerry Trenas,
Rep. Raul Gonzales Jr. of the lone district of Iloilo City, Teletech country head Maulik Parekh and Teletech
Iloilo site manager Nicki Agcaoili.
Situated at the 3rd level of SM City Iloilo, Teletech’s BPO facility is the largest of its kind in this city. It
boasts of 746 production seats and is situated in a sprawling 8,083-square meter layout that includes
state-of-the-art equipment and facilities.
The people of Iloilo are proud of the fact that their city now ranks third in the list of next-wave BPO
destinations in the country. We witness this excellence everyday on our operations floor from the more
than 1,600 employees at our site,” Teletech country head Maulik Parekh said in a statement.
Since 2002, Teletech has rapidly grown in size to more than 22,000 employees nationwide, making the
company the largest foreign BPO employer in the Philippines.
“We’ve been in operation here in Iloilo for a little over a year and we are confident that the city, through the
leadership of its local government, will continue to support the growth that we expect in the coming years,”
Parekh said.
Teletech, he added, remains bullish about its prospects this year.
From only 5,000 employees in 2005, Teletech now employes 22,000 workers in its 12 customers centers
in Fort Bonifacio, Makati City; Pasay, Novaliches, Quezon City; Cainta, Rizal; Dumeguete, Bacolod, Lipa,
Cebu, Bacoor, Cavite; Iloilo, Pampanga and Sta. Rosa City in Laguna.
Aside from Teletech Iloilo, the company’s other BPO delivery centers in the Visayas are in Cebu,
Dumaguete and Bacolod.
Teletech’s Philippines operation is the fastest growing in the company’s BPO network. Teletech is also
the biggest employer in the BPO sector.
Globally, Teletech has a workforce of over 60,000 and more than 80 delivery centers in 17 countries.
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