MANILA, PHILIPPINES: The Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) announced today that the Philippines will host one of the biggest data privacy summit in Asia, the Data Privacy Asia 2017, to be held on July 20, 2017 at the Makati Shangri-La Manila.

Data Privacy Asia 2017 carries the theme “Data Privacy and Cyber Security: Impact on Outsourcing.” The summit, recognized as Asia’s premier Data Protection, Privacy and Cyber Security conference, gathers the biggest outsourcing players within the region and in the world. It centers on topics related to such a sensitive global issue like data privacy that affects not justthe outsourcing industry but also many industries around the world, and even the latest trends in data privacy and network security frameworks.

Tonichi Achurra-Parekh, CCAP Board Director and Trustee for CCAP Security Council, announced that they have already lined up several speakers, data privacy experts from the Philippines and around the world, who are well versed on the issue because of their extensive experience and expertise. “What we are really aiming for is that we want everyone to come together so we can strengthen our collective resources on the issue of data privacy.”

Admittedly, Parekh said there is still work to be done where the country’s experience on the issue of data privacy is concerned, given that the Data Privacy Law, or R.A. 10173, is still in its early stages, having been enacted only in 2012. That is why the holding of the summit in the country is critical. “We expect to be educated about what’s going on globally regarding data privacy during the summit. We already know what we have, in fact we continue to educate ourselves with what we have but we want to run at a global pace. We also want to shout out to the world that this is very important to us and we are taking data privacy very seriously,” she continued.

For her part, EspieBulseco, Senior Director for Business Excellence at Hinduja Global Solutions and Learning Series Taskforce Lead of CCAP Security Council, said that in this day and age where volume of data and its sources increases, so does the risk of data attacks and security breaches also increases. “Our present efforts in relation to data protection, privacy, and cybersecurity will help us manage those risks well and essentially, will help us protect our clients’ sensitive informationand data and of course, help show them our value add in terms of the data privacy platform and cybersecurity governance framework.”

It is also important to deliver the message to the industry, she said, of having an effective data privacy and cyber security governance model that addresses operational risks in terms of data and at the same time be able to comply with our client’s contractual and regulatory requirements. “At the end of the day, it’s also not just about the added value of protecting you organization or your brand, but the entire business process outsourcing industry in the Philippines. We should discover not just local best practices but also leverage on best practices across other regions. Doing so helps us not just to increase our BPO capabilities but also sustain our business with clients.”

Early on, Benedict Hernandez, CCAP Chairman, said that the industry had been talking about data privacy since it came out and had become a constant topic among customers of BPO players in the country, majority US-based. “That is why we opened our country’s doors for this important data privacy summit, particularly welcoming speakers who can provide us more insights on the matter not just for the Philippines but also abroad because we interact globally. We want to know more about best practices so we could weigh in those that are relevant to us and those that are not. Then it will help us move forward and progress rapidly,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez adds that CCAP actively collaborated not just with the industry’s own data privacy team but also with that of the government, particularly the National Privacy Commission (NPC). “We have a good partnership with the government and they are very supportive in helping reach the goal of the local BPO industry and other industries for that matter to be fully compliant and show to the world that data privacy is in place in the Philippines.”