DTI urged to help keep BPOs here

Cebu 5th District Rep. Vincent Franco "Duke" Frasco has called out the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for its lack of concrete action in response to the proposed "Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025", a U.S. legislation that poses a serious threat to the Philippines' Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry and the livelihoods of more than 1.7 million Filipino workers, including tens of thousands in Cebu.

- Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/BRP

The proposed bill, now under deliberation in U.S. Congress, seeks to discourage the offshoring of call center operations by requiring American companies to notify the U.S. Labor secretary before relocating jobs overseas.

It also compels public disclosure of companies that outsource, bars them from receiving federal grants or loans for five years, and allows consumers to demand U.S.-based service agents.

Frasco warned that such measures could lead to job losses and economic instability in the Philippines if not addressed.