The Philippines now ranks first in the business processes outsourcing (BPO) industry around the world with a workforce reaching 350,000 this year. India, which now ranks second with 330,000 people in their workforce, was in the lead last year.
Furthermore, Business Processing Association of the Philippines reported that there are already 600,000 call center employees this year. These are the people who answers customer calls alone.
So what does this mean for us Filipinos in terms of employment? We all know that for as long as you have good English communication skills, you can land on a job in any BPO company around the country. Even licensed professionals are trying their luck in call centers, having scarcity of opportunities in their respective fields.
Here in Batangas, we have two of the country’s top call centers – TeleTech and Advanced Contact Solutions (ACS). I myself have tried applying on both companies right after I’m done with college. I already signed up a contract in one of these two companies and had started my training but the account where I landed, landed on water. Haha, I mean, it was cancelled having received a so-called ‘forecast’ that the calls won’t be too many to hire another batch of people to answer the not-so-many calls.
Okay, let’s go back to the main topic. Having thousands of Filipinos in various call centers in the country, is it a favorable sign that the economy is on its way to candyland? Too much sweet promises in there eh? They expect $5.7 billion revenues from the BPO industry this year.
These call center people receives twice or thrice the pay of employees in other fields. Who wouldn’t want that? It’s another feat for the Philippines to snatch the top rank in the global call center industry. Filipinos love ranking first.
Underemployed is way better than unemployed. Having a mismatch of what one studied in college and what one does for a living isn’t much of big deal for most of us now. At least you have a job, and that’s what matters.
The call center industry is indeed a booming industry in the country. But what would happen with the fields of health care, education, etc., if the labor force all leads to the BPOs?
bakit walang malaking call center sa Batangas City?