Philippine call centre agents eclipse India

Call centres in the Philippines now employ more agents than India, a recent survey has found, reports The Economic Times.

According to the survey by IBM, there are 350 000 agents employed in call centres in the Philippines, compared to India's 330 000.

Last year, the business in the Philippines earned about £6.5 billion, and that figure is projected to rise to $16.5 billion by 2016, according to reports.

The large number of young fluent English-speakers who naturally talk with an American accent is one of the key reasons that have allowed the Philippines to overtake India.

According to The Telegraph, customers calling from the US sometimes struggle with Indian-accented English even though centres in Delhi, Mumbai or Pune train their staff to iron out any kinks.

But the fact that the Philippines was once an American colony and still clings to many US cultural values means agents can more easily identify with callers. The Philippines' education and legal systems are based on those in the US and still mirror them closely.

It's this accent, coupled with the high number of fluent English speakers that is making the Philippines the new destination of choice for international companies wanting to outsource their call centres - especially for the lucrative US market, reveals BBC News.