Foreign Business Ownership in the Philippines

Setting up a foreign-owned business in the Philippines is no walk in the park. A foreign-owned corporation must obtain the necessary permits and licenses, register with the proper government agencies, and make the required capital investments   before setting up business operations inside the country. Business Registration procedures in the Philippines are different for a sole proprietorships, representative offices, branch offices, regional headquarters (RHQs), domestic corporations or subsidiaries. The type of business established by the foreign investor is determined by the kind of industry that he/she wants to engage in. Under the 1991 Foreign Investments Act (FIA), foreign investors are allowed to engage in any business enterprise, as long as it doesn’t fall under the foreign investments negative list established by the Philippine government, wherein foreign ownership is restricted to a small percentage of the company and the investor is required to establish a corporate presence inside the country.

Cyber Parks (Techno Parks, IT Parks, Ecozones) are ideal destinations for setting up a BPO or call center in the Philippines. Outsourcing companies prefer to locate business operations inside technoparks, mainly because of the large number of tax incentives and government exemptions available in these areas. Businesses established inside IT Ecozones are eligible for numerous benefits, including income tax holidays from 5-8 years, permanent residency status to foreign-based business owners and investors, as well as the payment of 5% tax on gross income after the company’s income tax holidays have expired. Government exemptions on capital equipment, the employment of foreign nationals, and gross income remittances are also readily available to foreign and locally-owned BPO companies in these areas. Metro Manila, considered as one of the top BPO destinations in the world, is home to a large number of these Cyber Parks, some of which include the Eastwood City Cyber Park in Libis, the McKinley Hill Cyber Park near Fort Bonifacio, UP-AyalaLand Technohub in PHILCOA, and the Northgate Cyber Zone in Alabang.

The rise of the Philippine BPO Industry has seen an accompanied increase in staff leasing services, including the recruitment of SEO Specialists, Web developers, Webmasters, Copywriters, Programmers, Data Encoders, Virtual Assistants, and Contact Center Agents.

Staff leasing is considered a hassle-free hiring solution for foreign and local companies doing business in the Philippines. Not only does it eliminate Human Resource (HR) costs and payroll, staff leasing also minimizes administrative responsibilities, and enables small and medium-sized companies to expand their business operations to different client markets. Larger companies also benefit from the arrangement, which offers cost-effective human resource management, employee payroll, compensation services, risk management assistance, training, and development.

A legacy of the Arroyo government, the National Tourism Act (R.A. 9593) has brought Philippine tourism to greater heights, boosting industry growth to 6.64% in the first quarter of 2010. According to statistics from the Department of Tourism, foreign arrivals increased by 7.89%, and domestic tourism by 6.09%. Metro Manila ranked first as the most visited destination in the Philippines, with a 37.10% growth rate and over 437,170 tourists. Cebu placed second with a 3% growth rate and 435,987 tourists, while Camarines Sur was in third place with 348,139 tourists. According to tourism secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano, the government expects at least 5 million visitors in 2010.

Seat rentals are an ideal option for start-up BPO companies and call centers in the Philippines. Not only are they cost-efficient and user-friendly, seat rentals also enable companies to reduce capital expenditures, while focusing on the more important aspects of the enterprise. Seat rentals are purchased on a monthly basis and do not require prior contractual agreements. This makes it a convenient option for companies looking to set-up business operations within a short period of time, minus the legal hassle. As the Philippine BPO industry continues to grow and develop, the demand for seat rentals in business districts like Makati, Ortigas,Fort Bonifacio and Manila is increasing at a rapid rate. There are a large number of alternative seat rental options available to BPO companies and call centers in the Philippines, including plug and play solutions, desk and cubicle offices, and many others.

Serviced offices offer a much needed convenience to foreign and local companies setting up business in the Philippines. These offices usually come fully-furnished, and are equipped by a separate facility management company. The managing company purchases the individual desks, office space, and operating equipment, then rents them out to client companies. Also referred to as executive suites, managed offices, business centers, or executive centers, serviced offices boast a large number of benefits, including plug and play options, prominent business adresses, and flexible short term contracts. These types of offices often have more flexible rental terms, compared to conventional leased office space, which are subject to more restrictive leases. Additional office space is easily allocated within short notice, making it more convenient for client companies in general, should a particular business change in size. Serviced offices are also more cost-effective, owing to the fact that client companies do not require to set aside capital for start-up costs and solicitor’s fees.

Subic Bay, Philippines is bordered on the east by Zambales mountains and the South China Sea on the west. A former US Naval base, Subic is now a freeport zone and a gateway for the transportation of goods. And, while it’s topography is more of a jungle paradise, technology, infrastructure, and industry have changed the landscape and the standard of living in the community. Real estate and BPO companies doing business in the Philippines are rising fast in the area and investors are now looking at Subic as a top BPO destination in the country.

Historic Manila Bay, considered one of the best natural harbors in Southeast Asia, is currently experiencing a real estate boom. The bay serves as the primary port of Manila and is famous for its picturesque sunsets. Entry to Manila Bay is flanked by several islands, the largest among them being Corregidor, which is 3 kilometers from Bataan and, along with the island of Caballo, separates the mouth of the bay into the North and South Channels.

As the global Business Process Outsourcing “BPO” market continues to expand, outsourcing destinations like Latin America and the Philippines are seeing more foreign investors and increasing annual revenue.  These areas expect a 30-40% profit upswing from BPO for the first quarter of 2010.

Latin American BPO is poised for growth, with large multinationals like Citigroup, Pfizer, and Ford setting up operations in the area. Other international offshore players in the area include TCS, Convergys and IBM. Latin American countries offer a number of fragmented domestic IT and BPO services, which enable bigger companies to capitalize on local acquisitions. Proximity to the United States and similar time zones may have led to 32% growth in voice transcription services in 2009 for the region.  Whatever the reason, the tides are shifting toward Latin American shores and away from India, the traditional leader in the voice transcription field.

Manpower resources are one of the Philippines’ greatest exports. Presently, over eleven percent of the population are employed as Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and Filipino communities are found in almost every industrialized nation in the world. The OFW diaspora regularly injects dollars into the economy in the form of remittances from Filipino professionals working abroad sending money home to their families. This has assisted the Philippine government immensely, and kept the local economy afloat.