Press Release
November 20, 2012

ANGARA SEEKS MORE TRAINING FOR HEALTHCARE BPO EMPLOYEES

Senator Edgardo J. Angara urged the government to allocate more funds for the skills training of frontline leaders and potential Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) employees as he expressed confidence that the country's healthcare information management outsourcing industry will continue to fuel the country's economy.

Angara, Chair of the Congressional Commission on Science, Technology and Engineering (COMSTE), said the future looks bright for the Philippine healthcare BPO industry noting that last year's revenues increased by more than 100-percent from 2010's $102 million to $277 million.

"Having solidified our lead in BPO voice, we should start diversifying and deepening our expertise in other sectors of the outsourcing industry like healthcare management," emphasized the veteran lawmaker, who is also the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology. According to the Healthcare Information Management Outsourcing Association of the Philippines (HIMOAP)--formerly known as the Medical Transcription Industry Association of the Philippines--the Philippine healthcare BPO sector is targeting $433 million with 43,000 full-time employees this year.

Recent projections see the industry expanding by 130 percent over the next five years with 100,000 full-time employees. It is also expected to generate around $1 billion in revenues by 2016.

"It is clear from these trends that the future outlook of the country's healthcare BPO industry and the sector's growth prospects appear very promising. If we want this sector to remain a sunrise industry in the country, we need to expand beyond medical transcription and deepen our pool of professionals well versed in medical matters and medical technologies," Angara stressed. He added, "Just like other companies, BPO firms shall start providing high-value services such as clinical coding, disease management, utilization reviews, revenue cycle management, and pharmaceutical benefits management to attract more investors."

Angara concluded, "The government should continue to invest in this booming industry by providing trainings and seminars for people seeking job opportunities in IT-BPO. This is a very promising age especially for highly educated, skilled and trained Filipinos."

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