Sitel formally opens Palawan hub

• Source: http://palawan-news.com/sitel-formally-opens-palawan-hub/
• Wednesday, June 28, 2017

By Gerardo Reyes Jr.

Sitel-Philippines, Palawan’s first business process outsourcing (BPO) company, was formally launched on Wednesday.

“We are delighted to open our doors in Palawan. We are here to offer world-class careers to Palaweños and become a major contributor to the socio-economic development of this region,” Sitel chief operations officer, Craig Reines, said.

Sitel is a BPO company of Acticall Sitel Group and collaborates with global brands to help deliver customer experience. It is one of the world’s leading outsourcing providers of customer experience management. Sitel–Puerto Princesa is the 13th location that the company has established in the country.

Since it opened a year ago, it has already created 1,000 new jobs, with 82% of the workforce coming from Palawan, according to Reines. He described them as all hardworking, passionate and innovative agents and customer service providers covering services for retail, courier, logistics, airline, and finance.

Mayor Lucilo Bayron said that Sitel is now the largest employer in the city and even in the province.

The company opened its newest customer experience center recently with Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Director General Charito Plaza as guest of honor.

“Our newest facility mark[s] another milestone in our global expansion plans and our advocacy to bring jobs and opportunities to the countryside,” said Reines.

Just like other new Sitel centers, the facility in this city has large, open spaces featuring private work areas, chill-out pods, and huddle rooms where associates can meet, share ideas, and brainstorm. Sitel–Puerto Princesa site features best-in-class design and innovative interiors. It boasts of global-quality recruitment hubs, the latest innovation in workspace technology and aesthetic design, a full-service cafeteria, and relaxation lounges.

Reines added that they are building something very remarkable in Puerto Princesa, believing that this city has many things to offer.

“Sitel is an innovator and a first mover in Palawan. We believe that to always be competitive in the market we have to be bold and be able to go into uncharted territory. That is what we have done in Puerto Princesa. We saw the potential and we invested in it,” Haidee Enriquez, Sitel-Philippines Vice President for Operations, said.

The city government has exempted Sitel–Puerto Princesa from paying local business tax and Mayor Bayron, together with other members of the city’s chamber of commerce, has presented the tax incentive award to the company in today’s ceremony.

“This investment is very important for the future of Puerto Princesa,” Bayron said.

Vice Governor Dennis Socrates, on the other hand, thanked Sitel for investing in the province of Palawan. He said that the presence of the company in the province, and being the first BPO company here, has provided employment to its people, spurred economic growth in the locality thus pump-priming the economy of Palawan.