By John Mark V. Tuazon
Computerworld Philippines
February 10, 2010

The creative process outsourcing industry in the Philippines is making inroads since its inception a few decades ago, with more foreign companies outsourcing larger and more relevant parts of projects to Filipino animators and game developers, local groups claimed during the e-Services Global Sourcing Conference and Exhibition Tuesday.

“We are now on the higher end of the production side,” said Marie Grace Dimaranan, board member of the Animation Council of the Philippines (ACPI), a non-government institution promoting the growth of the local animation industry.

Dimaranan explained that when animation outsourcing began in the Philippines, foreign clients would only outsource the main production part of their projects. “Now, we are also into development of original content in animation, as well as conceptualizing designs in the projects that we do,” she added.

The same positive development can be seen in the local game development industry, which is starting to make inroads in developing popular games made for the international market. “We don’t just follow orders from clients anymore. Now, they allow us the liberty to choose the design and style fit for their projects,” said Ranulf Goss, president, Game Development Association of the Philippines (GDAP).

Dimaranan attributes this surge in foreign clients letting Filipino animators and game developers handle more complicated tasks to the sophistication of the local workers’ skills sets. “We’re a lot more competent now, especially because we have been exposed to different processes in animation,” she remarked.

Goss, on the other hand, said global game companies have proven that Filipino talent is worth taking the risk for. “At the start, they would test you first, and as it becomes good, bigger phases will follow,” he quipped.

Despite renewed trust in the local CPO industry, the two local groups say there are still a lot of ground to be covered in terms of filling manpower and skills to answer to demand in animation and game development.

For one, Dimaranan said the industry remains short of people to do the tasks. “And not just manpower, but skilled individuals at that,” she emphasized. In closing the skills gap, Dimaranan said ACPI is working closely with universities in order to make sure that graduates are fit to work in the industry. “We’re continually helping in curriculum development,” she added.

In his welcome speech during the opening of the two-day convention on global sourcing, CICT (Commission on Information and Communications Technology) secretary Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua pointed out that the government is prioritizing talent development in the industry through programs offered by CHED (Commission on Higher Education) and TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority).

Still, the local outsourcing industry is comprised largely by contact center and back-office providers, overshadowing other service vendors in the country. Nevertheless, Roxas-Chua said in previous interviews that the CICT is pushing for the uplifting of the CPO industry, which he said raises the level of the Philippines in the global value chain, pushing the envelope on competition further.

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