The Bohol Business Park (BBP) has officially broken ground at the old Tagbilaran City airport, marking a significant milestone for Bohol’s economic development.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place on May 15, 2024, and was attended by key provincial and city officials, business leaders, and representatives from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
The BBP, located at the site of the old airport which has been idle since 2018, is set to become a bustling business hub.
The park’s first locator, Sagility BPO, a U.S.-based, tech-enabled healthcare business process management company, has begun construction of its contact center.
The facility is expected to provide employment opportunities for at least 3,000 workers, particularly those with medical industry backgrounds such as nurses and medical technologists.
Tagbilaran City Councilor Nerio Zamora II revealed that locators in the BBP will enjoy incentives from the local government unit (LGU), as per the investment code of Tagbilaran City.
This move aims to attract more investors to Bohol’s lone city, Zamora said.
The project is seen as a major leap into the digital economy for Bohol, which is currently playing catch-up compared to neighboring regions like Cebu and Negros Oriental, said Bohol 1st District Rep. Edgar M. Chatto.
Aside from Sagility, Tagbilaran City is also home to two other BPO firms, iBEX and Task Us, further bolstering the city’s position as a growing BPO hub.
Chatto said BBP project is expected to have a significant economic impact, generating revenues for the government in terms of taxes and other fees, and boosting local businesses as more people with disposable income patronize them.
However, the project also brings challenges, particularly the issue of attrition among BPO workers.
Meanwhile, Zamora pointed out that the rate of attrition, or the pace at which workers leave the workplace, may be influenced by health and burnout issues among agents who often work graveyard shifts.
To address this, the LGU has been closely coordinating with BPO locators to find ways to support the physical and mental health of workers, Zamora said.
As Bohol embarks on this new chapter, the province remains committed to creating a wise, strong, and inclusive community, with a focus on climate-smart agriculture and sustainable tourism to drive human capital development and propel the local economy to greater heights, said Chatto in a media interview.