ILOILO has always been a holiday destination for the weary-local-seeking-relaxation and the curious-foreigner-seeking-adventure. Touted as the “Heart of the Philippines,” hundreds if not thousands flock to Iloilo for its grand festivals, amazing cuisine, and kind-hearted people. It’s little wonder how guests have decided to make Iloilo their home, what with lower costs of living and its proximity to nature.
Astute businessmen, major Philippine brands, and entrepreneurs have called Iloilo their home base for many decades. Infrastructure has been a priority for Iloilo’s local government and the continuous migration from the Visayas has only served to make the city a viable place to start their business. Iloilo’s economy can rival those of the Philippines’ major cities. As a gateway to the Western Visayas, its location is considered strategic.
One of Iloilo’s not-so-hidden strengths is the Business Process Outsourcing sector. According to the Iloilo Federation for Information Technology (IFIT), information technology has directly employed at least 36,000 (plus 144,000 indirect employees) as of 2021. To date there are at least a hundred Business Process Management and Shared Service Companies operating within Iloilo, covering global industries ranging from healthcare, law, accounting, and telecommunications, to tourism and real estate.
These figures are set to rise astronomically. With Manila reportedly having the second worst traffic congestion in the world, more and more BPOs are seeing relocation to the south of Manila as a solution. To avoid the same problems, Iloilo’s local government has implemented measures such as traffic discipline zones to ease jams and bottlenecks, especially during rush hour.
In addition to a proactive local government, connectivity and the caliber of technology hubs rival those of Manila, Cebu, and even Davao. The Philippines’ two largest real estate developers, Ayala and Megaworld, have built the Ayala Iloilo Technohub and Iloilo Business Park, respectively. The SM Group is now part of the mix with mid to high-rise structures in construction. All these hubs have been recognized worldwide for their mixed-use design. Iloilo is not to be outdone in academic excellence. With the highest literacy rate in Western Visayas, Iloilo is home to eight universities. At the forefront of the digital revolution are the University of the Philippines Visayas’ (UPV), the West Visayas State University Green Business Technology Incubation (WVSU-GTBI), and the Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT-U).
Iloilo City continues to attract BPO companies as well as investors in other industries (such as real estate) because of the peace and order, stable and cost-effective power rates, real property taxes and business taxes, and competitive labor rates.
Meanwhile, the city continues to gain traction. It has been conferred by the Iloilo City Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry as The Most Business-Friendly LGU for Level 1B Highly Urbanized Cities Outside Metro Manila for the year 2019. A similar award was given in 2020 by the Philippine Business Conference & Expo Innovation, the 2020 Most Business-Friendly Local Government Unit Award.
Iloilo is set to become not just a home to satellite hubs, but a major command center for global businesses.
NEARSOL is a US-based BPO and service company that offers clients custom-design solutions. It began operations in 2006 and has since gained a strong presence in the Latin American regions, the Caribbean, and the Asia Pacific, winning many awards for quality and service along the way. Come and discover why our employees think we’re a great place to work!
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