Group wants IT-BPM industry shielded

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CEBU CITY — The country's largest IT and business process management (IT-BPM) industry group has raised alarm over recent fraudulent schemes involving two Cebu-based firms posing as legitimate call centers.

CALL FOR VIGILANCE Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) President Haidee Enriquez (left), with CCAP Chairman Mitch Locsin during a press briefing ahead of the Contact Islands 2025 summit in Cebu City, is seeking an industry-wide vigilance to safeguard the reputation of the Philippine outsourcing sector amid reports on dubious call centers. PHOTO BY KAISER JAN FUENTES

CALL FOR VIGILANCE Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) President Haidee Enriquez (left), with CCAP Chairman Mitch Locsin during a press briefing ahead of the Contact Islands 2025 summit in Cebu City, is seeking an industry-wide vigilance to safeguard the reputation of the Philippine outsourcing sector amid reports on dubious call centers. PHOTO BY KAISER JAN FUENTES

CALL FOR VIGILANCE Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) President Haidee Enriquez (left), with CCAP Chairman Mitch Locsin during a press briefing ahead of the Contact Islands 2025 summit in Cebu City, is seeking an industry-wide vigilance to safeguard the reputation of the Philippine outsourcing sector amid reports on dubious call centers. PHOTO BY KAISER JAN FUENTES

CALL FOR VIGILANCE Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) President Haidee Enriquez (left), with CCAP Chairman Mitch Locsin during a press briefing ahead of the Contact Islands 2025 summit in Cebu City, is seeking an industry-wide vigilance to safeguard the reputation of the Philippine outsourcing sector amid reports on dubious call centers. PHOTO BY KAISER JAN FUENTES

CALL FOR VIGILANCE Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) President Haidee Enriquez (left), with CCAP Chairman Mitch Locsin during a press briefing ahead of the Contact Islands 2025 summit in Cebu City, is seeking an industry-wide vigilance to safeguard the reputation of the Philippine outsourcing sector amid reports on dubious call centers. PHOTO BY KAISER JAN FUENTES

Officials from the Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) said the incidents serve as a stark reminder of the need for industry-wide vigilance to safeguard the reputation of the Philippine outsourcing sector.

"While the incident doesn't really affect us directly, it helps us become more watchful as an industry association," said CCAP Chairman Mitch Locsin in a press briefing ahead of the Contact Islands 2025 summit held in Cebu City.

Locsin clarified that neither of the firms involved in the reported scams were CCAP members, noting that the association maintains stringent membership requirements, including ownership verification and site inspections.

CCAP President Haidee Enriquez underscored the importance of reporting questionable practices within the industry.

"Safeguarding our industry doesn't just reside with us, the officers of the industry association," she said. "The economic impact of our industry goes far beyond those directly employed."

To counter fraud, CCAP has expanded the use of its One Trust Link database, a tool launched three years ago to track individuals linked to scams.

The platform is now used more widely under a partnership with the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines.

Cebu firms under scrutiny

Authorities launched a crackdown following a viral exposé by online content creator "mrwn" that implicated BMJ Data Processing Services, based in Barangay Kasambagan, Cebu City, in an online investment scam.

On May 20, police raided the firm's office, confiscating electronic devices for forensic analysis.

BMJ reportedly had no active mayor's permit at the time and is under investigation for potential violations of the Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection Act and the Cybercrime Prevention Act.

Innocentrix Philippines, meanwhile, is at the center of another controversy. A complaint filed by the US Department of Justice last December accused the company of operating a telemarketing and publishing fraud targeting elderly authors, allegedly raking in $44 million in illicit earnings.

Innocentrix's legal counsel contested the amount and denied any targeting of elderly clients, claiming their services were available to all writers and that employees received their wages properly.

Despite the controversies, the Contact Islands 2025 conference pushed through, with sessions focusing on AI, innovation in customer experience, and the future of Philippine contact centers.

24/7 City Hall

Enriquez also expressed strong support for the proposed "Mayor of the Night" initiative in Cebu City, which seeks to keep City Hall open 24 hours a day to accommodate constituents, especially night-shift workers in the BPO sector.

"For employees that didn't have to go on leave, if they have transactions with the City Hall — love it. We'd love to hear more about it from him," Enriquez said, referring to mayor-elect Nestor Archival Sr.

She welcomed the proposal as a "game-changer," especially for BPO employees who often struggle to access government services due to their work schedules.

"From that concept alone, I think it's great. The national government has been very supportive of the industry. But when it comes to local government units, there are still challenges," Enriquez added.

She emphasized the critical role of local governments in supporting the daily operations and welfare of the IT-BPM workforce.

"While many countries aspire to be the next Philippines, I kid you not —many LGUs here want to be the next Cebu," she said.

Mayor-elect Archival credited the idea to incoming Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña, calling it a "synergy" between his implementation and Osmeña's vision.

For Enriquez, the initiative reaffirms Cebu's status as a benchmark for digital cities in the Philippines.

"Initiatives like this will further establish Cebu as the 'North Star' that guides emerging digital cities in the country," she said.