BPO sector welcomes 'Cebu City Hall that never sleeps' setup

Local

A BOLD plan to keep Cebu City Hall open 24/7 has drawn early praise from a key figure in the country’s contact center industry, calling it a practical step toward making government more accessible for night-shift workers.

Haidee Enriquez, president of the Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP), said the concept could benefit thousands of BPO employees who struggle to access public services during regular office hours.

“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 on Monday, May 26.

She added that she intends to ask Cebu City mayor-elect Nestor Archival Sr. more about the plan in an upcoming meeting.

“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," she added

She said local government units play a crucial role in creating a business environment that supports the Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) industry.

While the national government provides overall policy direction and support, it is the LGUs that directly implement programs and services affecting daily operations and workers’ lives.

Archival’s “Mayor of the Night” initiative proposes round-the-clock operations at Cebu City Hall to accommodate workers who cannot transact during the day.

He credited incoming Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña for the idea, describing their future partnership as a “synergy” one creates the vision, the other executes it.

“This is the only City Hall probably in the whole country that never sleeps,” Archival said in a TV guesting shortly after winning the May 12 election.

“We designed this for people who work during the day, so they can still access government services at night," he added.

For Enriquez, the proposal fits Cebu’s role as a model city in the IT-BPM sector.

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

She said initiatives like this will further establish Cebu as the "North Star" that guides emerging digital cities in the country.(MyTVCebu)