MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced on Friday that a New York-based call center firm invested millions of dollars in new technology for their Philippine operations.

In an unannounced briefing at the Palace, the President presented to reporters iQor President and Chief Executive Office Vikas Kapoor who demonstrated FeAther, a biometric system that the firm developed.

The meeting was initially limited to photo coverage.

The President bannered the new investment a day after she made her economic managers face the Malacañang press and a hearing at the House of Representatives to allay fears over the impact of a looming recession in the United States on the country.

"I want him [Kapoor] to be the one quoted, not me. I'm very happy about it. That's why I called you. They put a lot of investments in our country," Arroyo said.

"Mr. Kapoor is one of our best advertisements in New York," said Arroyo, who was in New York last week on an official visit.

The FeAther technology is a biometric system that will identify and set the extent of a call center agent’s access to the network, Kapoor said.

With the secure technology, Kapoor said agents can work even outside the call center buildings.

"Our new proprietary technology represents a quantum leap for call centers and will vastly increase both flexibility and security for our clients," Kapoor said.

Kapoor refused to say exactly how much the FeAther technology costs, but he said it amounts to "multi-million" dollars.

According to an iQor news release, the firm has three call centers in the country that has provided 2,500 jobs.