Offshoring Digest recently started a series on doing business in the Philippines.

This presents some very useful background information about the second most popular country to outsource to (after India).

Why is it so popular? It's likely that strong English language skills and a highly educated population hold the key...

The CIA Factbook tells us that the Philippine population has a total literacy rate of 95.9%. It should also be noted that the country has a Bilingual education policy, and that the majority of the population conducts conversations in at least two languages.

Education in the Philippines is taken seriously. Despite the low education budget, many Filipinos take great pride in earning their diplomas. Tertiary education is considered a major stepping stone to "a better life," and even working-class families invest much in sending their children off to college.