MANILA, Philippines -- Due to lack of readily available office space, shopping malls are becoming the best alternative for business process outsourcing sites, according to the head of call center operator TeleTech.

In an interview, Maulik Parekh, TeleTech's general manager for Asia covering Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Philippines, said six out of the company's 10 facilities are located in malls.

Parekh announced TeleTech will open two more centers early next year, likewise located in malls. One will be at SM mall in San Fernando, Pampanga and the other in Robinson's mall in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

These new centers will house 1,700 and 1,000 seats, respectively, according to Parekh.

Asked whether malls in provinces now provision space for BPO investors, he replied: "For us, it works both ways. When we locate in a new city, we narrow down the places we can go to. Sometimes the property owners reach us and tell us they are reserving space for investors."

In SM San Fernando, for example, a new wing was constructed and designed primarily to accomodate BPO investments.

Since 2003, Teletech reported it has already surpassed its target of 15,000 workers and now aims for 10,000 more by 2009.

The company has aggressively expanded in cities outside Metro Manila including Bacoor, Lipa, Bacolod, Dumaguete, Iloilo and Cainta.