The Tholons Services Globalization Index (TSGI) 2018, which recognizes globally competitive outsourcing destinations, has included Iloilo City in the Philippines among this year’s 100 Super Cities that foster digital innovation and transformation.

The city, located about 290 miles south of the capital Manila, secured no. 92 in the TSGI, an improvement from last year when it was excluded from the list. It’s re-entry this year came in the midst of an aggressive push for further innovation in the local Business process outsourcing sector, which currently employs some 20,000 workers.

No doubt, this recognition is opening up new opportunities for the local BPO sector which is receiving a spillover of investments from Manila. The release of the 2018 TSGI comes as an added benefit to homegrown and foreign-owned service providers in Iloilo City. This provides the city with an added boost to its position as a growing hub for outsourced services.

As a global strategic consulting firm, Tholons has been working with multinational companies in identifying countries and cities that are well-adapted to an ever-changing digital landscape. The TSGI provides insights on how digital transformations shape the outsourcing sector and informs companies of potential services markets along the lines of AI, virtual reality, and blockchain technology.

To a certain degree, Tholons engages countries and cities in improving competitiveness and digital adoption. This year, the city of Bangalore in India has retained its No. 1 position in the TSGI while Manila follows at No. 2. Nonetheless, the Philippines finds itself at the top tier of services destinations that underscore the local BPO’s potential to deliver on demands for quality skills and technical competencies.  

As businesses realize the importance of innovation to sustainability and growth, they will need to find markets where the right conditions are set. Understandably, Iloilo City has hit the right indicators to be able to secure a Super City status.

To determine the relevance of a city or country as growing markets, Tholons conducts surveys and gathers qualitative and quantitative data to map out the widespread adoption of new technology and assess the adaptability of the local business ecosystem. The TSGI scores each location based on the following metrics:

• Talent Skills and Quality
• Business Catalyst
• Cost
• Infrastructure
• Risk and Quality of Life
• Digital and Innovations

Iloilo City received an overall score of 3.57 out of 10. Moreover, it is able to receive the highest score in terms of “Cost” at 1.36, narrowly beating Manila which has a score of 1.35 on the scale. It also scored well in “Digital and Innovations” due to its high digital penetration rate as well as the number of active business startups.

No doubt, these were the results of efforts towards making the city more business-friendly and investing in core infrastructure that supports the adoption of new trends.

Iloilo City’s inclusion in this year’s TSGI 100 Super Cities was met with excitement by the local business community. However, more has to be done for the local BPO sector to improve its position in the global outsourcing market. Fortunately, the city is on the right track and with business startups leading the charge, we will be seeing homegrown entrepreneurs appeal to a much larger global audience across industries like legal services, healthcare, financial services, and real estate.

One thing’s for sure, the current business climate will continue to support the BPO industry, especially virtual assistant service providers like OneVirtual Solutions.

Create better opportunities for your business without having to spend too much time and resources. Look for an Iloilo City-based company that knows what disruption is all about.

Contact us today and see what we can do to impact your bottom line.