ILOILO, PHILIPPINES – Carelon Global Solutions, a contact center and clinical nurse operations provider, announced on Friday its plans to expand its workforce in Iloilo City, creating more job opportunities for locals.
Carelon’s vice president and chief country executive, Nicki Agcaoili, revealed that around 4,000 of their employees work outside of Iloilo, representing about 40% of their workforce.
“By the end of the year, with the expansion that we are looking at, we will be exceeding the 4,000 mark, making us the largest healthcare provider BPO in Western Visayas,” Agcaoili stated.
Significant workforce increase and high employability
Currently, two of Carelon’s four sites are in Iloilo City, employing around 3,800 locals. As part of their expansion plan, they intend to hire 500 more in Iloilo, increasing their total workforce across four sites to 10,000 by the end of the year from the current 9,000.
Agcaoili highlighted the high employability of new hires in the city, which stands at around 85 to 90%. The company also plans to open a new recruitment hub, their fifth location, although a suitable site is still being sought.
This workforce expansion aligns with Western Visayas’ goal to become the Healthcare Information and Management Services (HIMS) capital of the world by 2028.
“Being a Bacolod City native, I’m passionate about growing the company and nurturing world-class talent in the region. We believe in the potential of Western Visayas to become a major player in the healthcare industry, and we’re committed to contributing to its growth,” Agcaoili stated to local media.
Supporting inclusivity and regional growth
Regional head of Carelon Judy Murillo emphasized their priority on hiring fresh graduates willing to train, noting that attrition is not an issue in Iloilo.
Carelon is also committed to providing employment opportunities to senior citizens, undergraduates, as well as persons with disabilities (PWDs), which includes preparing support teams through sign language classes.
Currently, the company employs six hearing-impaired individuals, three in Iloilo and three in Manila, in back-office roles.
Murillo mentioned plans to increase the number of PWD workers as part of their expansion. “We are very happy with the performance of the deaf. They have high productivity because they are focused on their work,” she said.
The expansion of Carelon, which rebranded from Legato Health Technologies Philippines in 2023, significantly contributes to the growing economy of Western Visayas.
