STA. ROSA CITY, Laguna – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today underscored the important role the BPO (business process outsourcing) industry plays in improving the economy and creating jobs.

During a lunch hosted by Convergys Phils. at its facility here, the President noted the industry has grown from a revenue base of $24 million and 4,000 workers when she assumed the presidency in 2001 to $7 billion and half a million employees last year.

The President’s visit is part of her week-long tour to highlight what her administration has done to create human and physical infrastructures that give high-paying jobs to young professionals.

Mariefe Zamora, Convergys vice president and country manager, said government support has enabled her firm to grow to its current size of 20,000 employees in 12 sites nationwide.

Now, she added. Convergys is hiring 640 new employees for its three sites in Cebu.

“We are honored to have the President visit us once again at our environment-friendly Nuvali facility, which she dedicated almost a year ago,” Zamora said.

“We look to further increase that number this year as more and more clients from across the globe request to have their customer management operations located in the Philippines,” she added.