'S&T NECESSARY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF PHL DEMOGRAPHIC WINDOW'

At his keynote speech at the opening of the 2012 International Contact Center Conference and Expo (ICCCE), Senator Edgardo J. Angara underscored that the Philippines has to boost its capacity for science and technology to take advantage of an upcoming demographic window.

Coined by the United Nations (UN) Population Department, a demographic window refers to the period when the biggest bracket of the population is comprised of the working class.

The Philippines is said to enter this period between 2015 and 2050, where the country's working class--a projected 65% of the entire population--will have the strongest purchasing power in Philippine history. Alongside that, consumption will surge, investments will rise, and the economy will reach its highest peak.

"We need to take advantage of this opportunity by promoting science and technology and ensuring world-class education for our scientists and engineers," said Angara, Chair of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology.

"Our ability to innovate in S&T will determine whether we'll ever get to be at par with other ASEAN countries."

Angara noted that the center of global production is moving from west to east, especially to Asian countries like Japan, Korea, India, Singapore, and Malaysia.

"These countries have heavily invested in research and development [R&D] as a way to boost their capacity for innovation," emphasized the veteran lawmaker, who is also Chair of the Congressional Commission on Science, Technology and Engineering (COMSTE).

"R&D is crucial in ensuring long-term development and in building knowledge-based societies."

With the slogan "2020: The Future of Outsourcing", the International Contact Center Conference and Expo (ICCCE) is said to be the biggest contact center event in the world, given the Philippines is the top destination for outsourced contact center services.

ICCCE 2012 is hosted by the Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) and supported by the Board of Investments (BOI), the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), the People Management Association of the Philippines, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).