INDUSTRY NEWS: Anti-Smoking Drive On BPOs, FDI Inflows Upsurge, and The Threat To Call Center Job

Baguio anti-smoking enforcers to focus on BPOs

In line with the city’s smoking ban ordinance, anti-smoking enforcers are keeping tabs on Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies for at least a week.

The effort, according to anti-smoking task force head Dr. Donnabel Tubera, aims to control the smoking addiction which is common among BPO workers.

Smoking has always been a major cause of various health problems.

In May 2017, the city government implemented its Smoke-Free Baguio ordinance in accordance to President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order 26. Under this ordinance is the rule that smokers should only smoke in designated areas.

But since the implementation of the ordinance, compliance has been low among establishments.

As of May 2018, Baguio’s anti-smoking task force has apprehended 1,384 violators. — via Manila Bulletin

PH foreign investments grow by 24% in 2 months

Philippine foreign direct investments (FDI) continues grew by 24 percent in the first four months of the year amid favorable investor sentiment on the back of sound macroeconomic fundamentals and growth prospects, according to a central bank statement.

FDI inflows amounted to $3.2 billion from January to April this year, $625 million higher than the $2.57 billion inflows in the same period last year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas stated.

The central bank revised upward the FDI projection to $9.2 billion instead of $8.2 billion this year amid the anticipated higher net inflow and lower net outflow in the other investments accounts.

The sustained positive developments in the domestic economy, the expected improvement in global economic conditions relative to 2017, and the implementation of public-private partnership projects that were approved and awarded the previous years will drive the higher projection.

“FDI uptick is further seen in 2018 in line with the continued fast-tracking and modernization of the country’s soft and hard infrastructure, growing interest from non-traditional investment sources, and improved global perception of the Philippines as an investment destination,” the BSP added. — via Philippine Star

A threat to call center jobs?

The tech giant Google announced their latest technology called Google Duplex that is feared to jeopardize call center jobs because of its capacity to conduct natural conversations and carry out real-world tasks over the phone.

Duplex’s mimicry of natural speech is so advanced that is it indistinguishable from a real human.

In a few months’ time, Duplex is said to handle real calls for a business.

An April 2018 study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) stated that over “half of the jobs in some economies in developing Asia are at risk.” This includes customer support jobs as at-risk.

“The apparel and footwear industries, for example, are experimenting with completely automated production. Similarly, it is becoming technically feasible to automate more complex service tasks such as customer support. These developments have raised concern that automation could cause widespread job loss, slow wage growth, and worsen income inequality in developed and developing economies alike,” the ADB said. — via Rappler.com

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