THE six-percentage-points gain by Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II in the recent Social Weather Stations survey indicates he will have a chance in the 2016 presidential elections, three lawmakers said Monday.
Reps. Edgar Erice and Ben Evardone said the “Roxas Administration” would provide a windfall of economic benefits—including a big boom in the multi-billion-dollar call-center industry.
Erice said Roxas, who claims to be the “Father of the Business Process Outsourcing industry,” would be capable of leading the already robust sector to “brighter days.”
He said Roxas, the presumptive candidate of the ruling Liberal Party in 2016, could give more attention to the industry he started.
“I think he will give priority to the BPO industry considering the annual revenue has already reached $18 billion. This is just a little lower than the $24 billion we’re already getting from [the Filipino workers abroad],” Erice said.
Evardone said the income from BPOs, which employ more than a million Filipinos, had reached $18.4 billion, up by 18.4 percent year-on-year.
“Definitely, a Roxas presidency will be a big boost to the BPO industry not only in propagating growth but also ensuring that healthy working conditions are implemented,” Evardone said.
Rep. Reynaldo Umali said only Roxas had the “deep knowledge and love” of the BPO sector to ensure it was on track to overtake the remittances sent home by migrants. Soon, the BPO sector would be the country’s main source of dollar earnings.
“Mar fully understands the sector, being its father. With his knowledge and experience plus integrity, he can best lead the sector to more successes,” Umali said.