MANILA, Philippines -- Convergys Corp. announced plans to open five more call centers in the country, citing further demand despite recession in the United States.

These five new sites – targeted for completion within the next two years -- are expected to bring in 7,000 more jobs into the Philippines. Convergys currently has more than 13,700 workers in the Philippines, making the country the second largest workforce population outside of the US.

Three of these new centers will be located in Metro Manila -- UP Science Park in Quezon City, San Lazaro in Manila and Glorietta 5 in Makati City. Another Convergys site will also open in Cebu and another one in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, the latter already drawing a number of BPO (business process outsourcing) investments.

Andrea Ayers, president of Convergys' customer management business, noted that customers are specifically asking for the Philippines when it comes to outsourcing call center work. Because of the economic slowdown in the US, she is confident the contact center industry will become even more relevant.

"We are in a recession-proof business," Ayers said in an interview. "Customers are looking for high-quality customer care but want a less expensive alternative to running it in-house.

Convergys posted $716.4 million in first quarter revenues. Customer management is the biggest revenue driver accounting for $476 million. Worldwide, Convergys operates more than 75,000 workers in 85 contact centers. The company employs around 12,000 workers in India, where it also has a sizable customer care business.

"But the demand right now is focused on the Philippines," Ayers noted in an interview with INQUIRER.net. "We are adding new work to the Philippines, not just migrating work from other areas like the US."

Meanwhile, the Sta. Rosa facility is seen to be an eco-friendly call center for Convergys. Solar panels and bicycle lanes will be common fixtures in the forthcoming call center in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

Located at Nuvali, an area being developed by Ayala Land, the new facility is expected to be completed by the end of the year, according to Convergys.

The facility will house 660 seats and can accommodate more than 950 employees. The Sta. Rosa site is expected to be bigger than Convergys' build-to-suit facility along Ayala Avenue in Makati City.

A housing area is also being constructed near the Convergys facility, which would serve as dormitories for agents. Aside from Convergys, other call centers including Teletech are also locating in the area.

Convergys also expects to attract workers from nearby provinces, including those in Metro Manila.

"Nuvali itself is being groomed into an eco-friendly community by the Ayalas," said Jomari Mercado, business development director for Convergys Philippines. "Our facility will use solar panels, and the developers also plan to harness solar power to provide electricity for public premises including streetlamps."

A man-made lake is also being constructed to take advantage of rainfall as a water resource.