Can I Help You With Anything Else?

A Philippines without call centers! Are we ready for a worst-case-situation like this? Have we got the infrastructure to cope with mass unemployment? Quo vadis call center agent? I know this scenario seems incomprehensible, but let me assure you that it is not far-fetched.

In the time of budget surplus, the jobs that Americans didn't want got shipped offshore. Back office work then was generally viewed by many as a dead end, unattractive, stressful, and therefore only transient. This posed a challenge to the companies: How do you retain employees in order to maintain stability and continuity in the back office? The answer was to hire a third party who will ship the jobs elsewhere; preferrably to developing countries like the Philippines. The companies get to save on the operational costs and still maintain a credible yet stable back office.

The BPO sector - particularly call centers - has been providing much-needed employment to Filipinos for more than a decade. In the cities, everybody knows someone who works in a BPO. With the relatively above-average compensation they receive, young, tech-savvy, and socially active Filipnos were given the opportunity to indulge in the hedonism of gadgets, booze, and Starbucks. With the improved purchasing power of so many, other businesses also reaped benefits. Local fastfood chains around corporate offices now operate round-the-clock; only Wendy's did that pre-2003. Even the ambulant cigarette vendors ply their much-needed products 24/7.

The economic situation is very different today. The global economy is still struggling to survive. Bears are prowling the global markets. Sovereign debt clouds both tthe United States and Europe. More importantly, unemployment in the US has remained high at plus 9%. In order for companies to start hiring, they first need to make a profit. They make profits if people are buying their products or services. People need jobs to earn money in order to purchase products or services. It is a vicious cycle. Not a few have been demanding that the jobs offshored during happier times be brought back. Of course the government cannot arbitrarily order companies to comply post-haste. Operating offices overseas has been and still is profitable for these companies and - in a capitalist world - that is the main objective of having a business.

But, what if offshoring becomes unprofitable? Will these companies hold steadfast? I bet not. The US dollar is much weaker now. And what if it gets weaker? The profits get smaller. There is also a proposal to tax companies for jobs shipped overseas. And one more thing, 2012 is an election year in the US. Unemployment has been a thorny issue for President Barack Obama and the Democrats. One way another, they will try to make companies bring home the jobs.

Democracy?

It is a basic tenet in a Democracy that all citizens are treated equally. In an ideal Democracy, what is good for Pedro should also be good for Juan. It is a concept which seems alien to the poeple living in the democratic republic of my lupang hinirang. A commoner accused of defrauding or stealing goes straight to jail and stays there until the entire legal process is consummated; even beyond that at times. A non-commoner spends the whole time wherever.

Which brings me to comment on the plight of the former Philippine President Gloria Arroyo. But first, let me disclose that I'm not a lawyer nor have I had any training in the practice of law. Let me add though that I'm also not stupid. Mrs. Arroyo should be treated fairly and should be accorded the courtesy suited for her status Absolutely! She is accused of conspiring to pervert the results of an election. An election is a feature in a democracy wherein citizens of all classes get to decide who their leaders should be. You screw the election results, and you screw democracy itself. It is a crime so vile, the world's premier democracy didn't have the balls to even discuss the issue.

In this country, a person accused of petty crimes gets to spend at least a 24-hour period behind cold steel bars. What makes Mrs. Arroyo different? Her status? Yes! The crime she is accused of is by no means petty; she is of a different class. So, should she be treated differently? No way! Mrs. Arroyo should be treated fairly and accordingly! I say, jail her now and let's all start having a merry season.

Let Me TryThis Out

A quarter past midnight, 29 November 2011. Finally, I.m getting my feet wet; I've been wanting to do this blogging thing for a long time now.

I'm currently looking at a crossroad. I'm umemployed, have mouths to feed, and going crazy. The timing couldn't have come at a worse time. I'm hoping this will help me vent out most of the encumbrance I can't seem to identify.