ILOILO CITY – A business process outsourcing (BPO) firm specializing in contact center and clinical nurse operations announced on Friday its plan to expand its workforce in Iloilo City, providing more job opportunities for Ilonggos.
“We have 40 percent of our population out of Iloilo, barely close to 4,000 employees. By the end of the year, with the expansion that we are looking at, we will be exceeding the 4,000-mile, making us the largest health care provider BPO in Western Visayas,” Carelon Global Solutions Philippines vice president and chief country executive Nicki Agcaoili said in a media roundtable.
Two of their four sites are in Iloilo City, employing 3,800 Ilonggos. They intend to hire 500 more in Iloilo as part of their plan to increase their workforce in four sites to 10,000 this year from the current 9,000.
The BPO executive said the employability of new hires in Iloilo is high at 85 percent to 90 percent.
Agcaoli said they are also discussing opening a recruitment hub, which will be their fifth location, although they are still looking for a suitable site.
He added that the expansion of their workforce supports the plan of Western Visayas to be the Healthcare Information and Management Services (HIMS) capital of the world by 2028.
Industry players and stakeholders are currently crafting a roadmap to attain the objective.
Meanwhile, Judy Murillo, regional head of Carelon, said they are prioritizing fresh graduates who are willing to train.
“Especially in Iloilo, we don’t have an issue with attrition,” she said.
Carelon also provides employment opportunities to persons with disability (PWD), which entails a lot of preparation, including a sign language class for the support team and the people interacting with them.
“The challenge is how you transfer the knowledge to them,” Murillo said.
She said they have six hearing-impaired employees -- three each in Iloilo and Manila -- working in the back office.
Murillo said with the expansion, adding more PWD workers is in the pipeline.
“We are very happy with the performance of the deaf. They have high productivity because they are focused on their work,” she said.
Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) - Iloilo City chapter president, engineer Fulbert Woo said the presence of Carelon, which is also one of their active members, significantly contributes to the growing economy of Western Visayas.
“With a dedicated team of 3,800 employees, Carelon not only enhances the livelihoods of Ilonggos, but also positively impacts neighboring provinces and cities. PCCI-Iloilo fully supports Carelon's developments and expansion, recognizing their vital role in the region’s growth,” he said.
Carelon rebranded from Legato Health Technologies Philippines in 2023 and boasts of more than 80 capabilities. (PNA)
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