PGMA's Speech during the Launching Ceremony of the Philippine E-Services

World Trade Center, Pasay City (13 Feb 2003)

THANK YOU VERY MUCH SECRETARY ROXAS.

SA ATON MGA KAIGSUONAN SA CEBU UG DAVAO, MAAYONG UGTO KANINYONG TANAN.

SO, I'D LIKE TO GREET BOBBY ROMULO AS WELL AND VER PEŅA, AND ALSO FELICIDAD TAN-COM, AND OUR MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS, OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, OUR CEOs FROM THE MULTINATIONALS, OUR E-EXHIBITORS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

I'M PLEASED THAT WE HAVE HERE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DEMONSTRATE HOW MUCH PROGRESS OUR COUNTRY IS MAKING IN PROMOTING OUR E-SERVICES CAPABILTY.

OUR DEVELOPMENT THRUST PROMOTES FAST-GROWING INDUSTRIES WHERE HIGH-VALUE JOBS ARE MOST PLENTIFUL. AND ONE OF OUR MOST COMPETITIVE SECTORS IS INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY. OWING TO THE PHILIPPINE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT AND BEING THE THIRD LARGEST ENGLISH-SPEAKING NATION IN THE WORLD, AND HAVING THE BEST AND LARGEST POOL OF KNOWLEDGE WORKERS AS WELL AS A COST-COMPETITIVE TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE, THE COUNTRY TODAY HAS ENERGETIC I.C.T. INDUSTRIES WITH AREAS OF GREAT POTENTIAL THAT ARE TURNING INTO OUR NATION'S NICHES WITHIN THE GLOBAL I.C.T. MARKET.

ASIDE FROM OUR STRENGTHS IN HARDWARE MANUFACTURING ASSEMBLY AND DATA COLLECTION AND PROCESSING SERVICES, THE PHILIPPINES IS ALSO GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT AND IS DEVELOPING ITS POTENTIALS IN E-COMMERCE.

I HOPE THAT THROUGH THIS E-SERVICES PHILIPPINES EXHIBITION MORE GLOBAL PLAYERS WILL CONSIDER THE PHILIPPINES FOR THEIR OUTSOURCING REQUIREMENTS.

ONE PROMISING AREA OF COLLABORATION IS BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING WHICH PRESENTS AN ATTRACTIVE SOLUTION TO INCREASING EFFICIENCY, IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY AND MAXIMIZING PROFITS.

THE PHILIPPINES IS STEADILY EARNING RECOGNITION IN THE BUSINESS PROCESSING OUTSOURCING SECTOR IN GLOBAL MARKETS, DUE TO THE GROWING REPUTATION OF FILIPINO E-SERVICE PROVIDERS FOR COMPETENCE AND RELIABILITY, THUS, PROVIDING THE HIGHEST VALUE FOR MONEY FOR BOTH LOCAL AND FOREIGN CLIENTS.

CALL CENTERS ARE ONLY THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG OF I.T.-ENABLED SERVICES, WHICH INCLUDE PAYMENT PROCESSING, ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE, LOGISTICS AND CUSTOMER RELATIONS.

WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE A GLOBAL PLAYER IN THESE OTHER AREAS OF BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING. SOME OF THE THINGS GOING FOR US INCLUDE, AS I SAID EARLIER: A HIGHLY-SKILLED WORK FORCE IN BUSINESS PROCESS AND TECHNOLOGY. FOR INSTANCE, IN THE TRANSCRIPTION BOOTH THAT I WENT TO SEE, WE HAVE A LOT OF MEDICAL STUDENTS, NURSES, MEDICAL TECHNOLOGISTS, WHO CAN DO MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION. WE'VE A LOT OF LAW STUDENTS WHO CAN DO LEGAL TRANSCRIPTION.

OTHER THINGS GOING FOR US INCLUDE GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMPETITIVE RATE IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS; AVAILABILITY OF REAL ESTATE; A CONSULTATIVE AND CUSTOMER SERVICE MINDSET VERSUS A "TECHIE"-ORIENTED WORK FORCE THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE IN OTHER AREAS; A STRONG WORK ETHIC; AND FIRM GOVERNMENT SUPPORT.

WE KNOW THERE ARE COMPETITORS OUT THERE TOUTING THEIR STRENGTHS, AND SO WE HAVE TAKEN A LONG VIEW TO KEEP US AHEAD. OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST VALUE PROPOSITION. THAT MEANS THE MOST FAVORABLE PRICE TO QUALITY RATIO.

MY ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN WORKING ESPECIALLY HARD TO DEVELOP THE I.T. SECTOR BY HELPING TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT BEST SUITED TO MEET YOUR NEEDS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING.

ONE OF THE MEASURES I'VE TAKEN -- AS MAR ROXAS INDICATED - WAS THE ORDER TO RETURN TO ENGLISH AS OUR PRIMARY MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS. THE ABILITY TO SPEAK ENGLISH HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR STRONGEST SELLING POINT, AND WE DON'T WANT TO TAKE THAT FOR GRANTED. WE DON'T WANT THE QUALITY OF OUR ENGLISH TO DETERIORATE.

IN THE BPO TRADE, GOOD ENGLISH THOUGH WILL NOT SUFFICE. SO SOME PEOPLE MAY CALL ME UNPATRIOTIC BUT I THINK IT IS MORE UNPATRIOTIC TO DEPRIVE OUR CITIZENS OF THESE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE SAKE OF LINGUISTIC FIDELITY.

IN OUR E-PHILIPPINES STRATEGIC ROADMAP, WE AIM TO ELIMINATE THE IMPEDIMENTS TO UNLEASHING THE COUNTRY'S I.T. POTENTIALS IN THE GLOBAL MARKET.

FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, THE GOAL IS TO GENERATE ENTERPRISES THAT WOULD MAKE THE COUNTRY WORLD CLASS AS AN I.T. PROVIDER.

FOR THE LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, THE OBJECTIVE IS TO FINE-TUNE THE ENVIRONMENT SO AS TO MAKE IT MORE CONDUCIVE FOR INVESTORS.

FOR HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT, THE AIM IS TO ENSURE THAT WE KEEP CHURNING OUT A DYNAMIC AND COMPETITIVE I.T. WORK FORCE.

FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE, SUCCESS WILL BE MEASURED BY AFFORDABLE INTERNET ACCESS TO ALL SEGMENTS OF THE POPULATION.

FOR E-GOVERNMENT, GOVERNMENT AS POTENTIALLY THE BIGGEST USER OF I.T.-ENABLED SERVICES, WE WOULD HAVE ACHIEVED OUR GOAL IF WE'RE ABLE TO PUT A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES ONLINE.

EARLY THIS YEAR, WHICH IS JUST A MONTH AGO, I SIGNED INTO LAW THE GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT REFORM ACT THAT WILL ENABLE BIDDING FOR GOVERNMENT'S MATERIAL AND SERVICE NEEDS TO BE DONE ONLINE. THIS KIND OF TRANSPARENCY LOWERS THE INCIDENCE OF GRAFT AND CORRUPTION, IMPROVES OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY, FOSTERS TRANSPARENCY IN BIDDING, STANDARDIZES BIDDING PROCEDURES, AND ENCOURAGES COMPETITION.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO TAP I.C.T. TO FACILITATE BETTER, MORE EFFICIENT, AND MORE TRANSPARENT GOVERNANCE. THE E GOVERNMENT IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE OF THE I.T. AND E-COMMERCE COUNCIL, WHICH I PERSONALLY HEAD, WILL AMONG OTHER TASKS, REVIEW AND INTEGRATE CORE GOVERNMENT FRONTLINE SERVICES, CONSOLIDATE ALL NETWORKING REQUIREMENTS OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, RECOMMEND POLICY REGARDING I.C.T. MATTERS, AND MONITOR AGENCY COMPLIANCE WITH THE E COMMERCE ACT.

MY ADMINISTRATION WILL CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF THE I.T. SECTOR, BUT I WILL NEED YOUR HELP. I ESPECIALLY WILL NEED THE HELP OF THE CEOs OF THE MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES THAT ARE HAVING THEIR CONFERENCE TODAY. AND I THANK YOU FOR RIDING OVER FROM WESTIN TO COME HERE TODAY, SO THAT I CAN SPEED UP OUR PROGRAM AND GO TO MALACAŅANG AND SIGN THE OVERSEAS VOTING BILL INTO LAW.

THE LATEST NUMBERS ON ROYALTIES, PROFITS AND DIVIDENDS OF COMPANIES OPERATING IN THE PHILIPPINES CONFIRMS THE BELIEF THAT THE PHILIPPINES CONTINUES TO BE A GOOD PLACE TO DO BUSINESS FOR YOUR COMPANIES, DEAR CEOs.

MUCH OF THAT IS A TRIBUTE TO YOUR SKILLS AS MANAGERS AND CEOs WORKING HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES. YOUR REASON FOR BEING WE KNOW IS TO MAKE YOUR COMPANY'S OPERATIONS HERE AS EFFICIENT AND PROFITABLE AS IT CAN BE. SO I'M SURE THE FACT THAT THE MULTINATIONAL CEOs HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE THIS - AS CONFIRMED BY THE NUMBERS -- GIVE YOU GREAT CREDIBILITY IN YOUR RESPECTIVE HEADQUARTERS. THEY LISTEN TO YOU IN YOUR HEADQUARTERS. AND THAT'S WHY I ASKED YOU TO COME HERE TO THIS E-SERVICES EXHIBIT.

YOUR COMPANY'S OVERALL WELL-BEING IS I'M SURE OF GREAT CONCERN TO YOU EVEN IF YOUR PARAMOUNT CONCERN IS YOUR OPERATIONS HERE. AND SURELY, YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE MORE TO YOUR COMPANY'S BOTTOMLINE -- HEADQUARTERS AND WORLDWIDE OPERATIONS BOTTOMLINE -- IF YOU'RE ABLE TO CONVINCE YOUR CORPORATE OR REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS TO OUTSOURCE MORE OF YOUR BUSINESS PROCESSES TO THE PHILIPPINES.

IT COSTS ONE-FOURTH TO ONE-THIRD LESS TO OURSOURCE FROM HERE. THINK OF HOW MUCH THAT WILL MEAN TO YOUR BOTTOMLINE!

I HOPE THE MANY SUCCESS STORIES AT THE CEO FORUM WILL SPUR YOU TO OUTSOURCE MORE FROM HERE. AND IF YOU ARE ABLE TO DO THIS, NOT ONLY WOULD YOU BE SHORING UP YOUR RESPECTIVE FIRMS, YOU WOULD ALSO HAVE INCREASED YOUR CONTRIBUTION A THOUSANDFOLD TO THIS ECONOMY THAT HAS BEEN A GOOD HOST TO YOUR BUSINESS.

SO, THANK YOU FOR STAYING WITH US. WE SHALL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE A GOOD ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS -- I MEAN, FAIR RULES, LAW AND ORDER, GOOD GOVERNANCE, A STABLE SOCIAL ORDER, A VIBRANT DEMOCRACY. THEREFORE, CEOs, LET US BE ALLIES IN THIS LARGER ENTERPRISE.

THANK YOU.

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