Safeway to expand BPO operations in Philippines

A leading US retailer is “keen on expanding” its business process outsourcing (BPO) operations in the Philippines, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the DTI said top executives of Safeway Inc arrived this month “to conduct due diligence relative to its plan of expanding its business operations in the country.”

"The team that came here was only from their BPO area," Trade Secretary Gregory L. Domingo said in text message when asked if Safeway has also expressed interest in retail operations here.

 Safeway is said to be the second-biggest supermarket chain in North America. The Pleasanton, California-based retailer has a Philippine affiliate, Safeway Philtech Inc, whose BPO operations have served over 1,700 stores and corporate offices in Canada and the US for a decade.

Safeway Philtech provides application development and enhancements, application support and maintenance, and technology and infrastructure support services.

“Top-ranked executives of Safeway were particularly upbeat on taking advantage of opportunities in the country’s BPO industry and looked at BPO activities that can add significant value to their global operations,” the DTI said.

“DTI-Foreign Trade Service Corps (FTSC) Assistant Secretary Josephine Romero personally met the [Safeway] team and urged them to expand their operations in the country and join the rosters of foreign companies that are reaping the benefits of a vibrant Philippine economy,” the DTI added.

source: interaksyon.com

Filipino food to go global - DTI

MANILA - Filipino food is expected to leap forward globally as food producers continue to offer unique flavors that captivate the world food market, the Department and Trade and Industry (DTI) said in a news release.

In her speech read during the recent food fair dubbed as “Eats more fun in the Philippines,” DTI Undersecretary for Regional Operations and Development Group (RODG) Merly M. Cruz said food trend analysts predict that Filipino food will soon be assimilated into the global mainstream culture much like Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Thai food.

The fair showcased the food products of about 200 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country. It displayed products such as bagnet and longanisa from the Ilocos provinces, organic and unpolished rice from Nueva Ecija, dessert food and other delicacies from Pampanga and Laguna, malunggay food products from Batangas, pinangat and pili products from Bicol, coffee from the province of Kalinga, honey and vinegar from Benguet, and fruit-flavored wines from Agusan del Sur.

“Some experts believe that this trend is just taking off, and that the unique Filipino blend of European and Asian flavors will soon capture the taste buds of the world market,” Cruz said. This unique Filipino food blend is the combination of the best techniques from its foreign influences.

Out of the $3 billion Philippine food exports in 2011, $1.72 billion are processed food and $52.2 million are beverages. As of the first quarter of 2012, Philippine food exports already accounted for $1 billion. One-half of this figure or $517.6 million are processed food, and $32.2 million are beverages.

In 2011, the major markets for Philippine processed food are the US, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. In the first quarter of 2012, the same food importers topped the list with the addition of China. China became the second importer of our process food, from its 10th position in 2011.

For beverages, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, US, and Korea are the major importers of the Philippines in 2011. For the first quarter of 2012, Thailand, Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Taiwan, China, Malaysia, and Hong Kong SAR are the major markets of the country for beverages.

The food fair is part of the government’s effort to help promote the products of MSMEs, and make them to contribute in attaining inclusive growth in the country.

Cruz said that this is a good time to be a Filipino entrepreneur because the Aquino administration has recognized the potential of the MSME sector as a driver for national economic growth, and a critical element in poverty alleviation.

Considered as the backbone of the Philippine economy, these enterprises comprise 99.6 percent of all registered business in the country. One-half of these enterprises are food producers.

“The DTI, through the Bureau of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Development (BMSMED), as well as its regional and provincial offices, will ensure the successful implementation of SME programs through close coordination and monitoring of quantifiable performance outcomes," Cruz said.

"This is a very exciting time to be a Filipino entrepreneur. Let us all work together to achieve the potential to be among the world's top economies hopefully in our lifetime, but definitely in our children’s, by laying a strong foundation for the future," she added.

source: interaksyon.com