MANILA - American outsourcing firm Sykes said Thursday it was looking at expanding outside the capital, as it expected the industry to grow under President Rodrigo Duterte.

Sykes, one of the largest BPO operations in the country, opened new offices in Alabang and is looking at expanding in "next wave" cities to escape worsening traffic congestion in Metro Manila, said Dean Van Ormer, Sykes Vice President for Philippine operations.

"We've already been assessing the next wave cities and other cities in the Philippines and we'll continue to assess that," Van Ormer told ABS-CBN News.

• READ: 10 'next wave' cities in PH named

Van Ormer said demand in the BPO sector would be sustained and the industry would continue to grow under the Duterte administration.

"The BPO sector is so important to the Philippines, government support will always be there," he said.

The Alabang hub is the company's first office in southern Manila. It is expected to create 2,500 jobs in industries related to technology, telecommunications, financial services, and healthcare.
Sykes also has offices in Makati, Quezon City, Mandaluyong, and Cebu.

The Philippines is home to one of the largest outsourcing industries in the world and is a major job generator.