A Christmas Carol: My Christmas Past, Present and Future

source: http://artfreaksew16.deviantart.com/art/Christmas-Carol-Poster-design-407320080

Part 1

So this heat made my drowsy eyes unable to succumb to sleep. The temperature adds to the burden of not being able to rest. So here I am left with nothing to do but to combat the atmosphere or think of something better.

In the play "A Christmas Carol" Ebenezer Scrooge was visited by three ghosts: Past, Present and Future. I was able to participate in a production directed by my classmate (King) in high school as our project in English. I was the person in charge of props while the main actor did one hell of a job portraying the role. Impressed until now! It was one of the event in  my young days wherein I can say, I'm proud. Since, I got nothing else to do let me visit the past, present and future. My Christmas Carol!

Christmas Past

We are not rich. Yes, I grew up as an OFW kid. I had the latest and greatest stuff. But my mom kept reminding me, "we are not rich". "We have nothing son!" I got used to this that frankly I got pissed and doubting since everyone is saying that my father has a good and high paying job. Well, yes! I live in a comfortable home with three meals a day. I studied in a public school during my elementary, a seminary in high school and college. But I never felt rich. Perhaps it was just merely the perception of people around us. I worked my butt off just like any regular kid. I got used to a Christmas without my father. Frankly, it was fine. It never bothered me. Mom always filled up his role in the family. There were times when he was there. I remember those. I remember because he would allow us to buy firecrackers for the new year. Mom always said, "No firecrackers if your father is not here, it is not safe". Hmm! Me and third brother would always find a way to buy. The only difference is when "tatay" is around he buys it and we do not spend our Christmas money. 

I miss those Christmas. I miss the whole family being together. My Most memorable of all was when everyone from my mother side spent the Christmas together. I could never forget it. It was fun to see my aunts and cousins. It was fun being a child at that time. Writing about it even makes me smile to this day. It was never the food that I remember but the people, my aunts and uncles drinking being happy with my grandfather and mother. It was the smiles that beamed on their cheeks. Their red faces when they laugh. I know my mother was very happy. I was. It was fun being with relatives. It is something that I definitely want to go back to. 

My Christmas past were never memories of lechon, cakes, etc. What I remember was the smile, the joy and indescribable feeling of warmth in being with your loved ones. It is the joy of being together being one, being a family. 

Looking back, I long for those Christmas. I long to be in the table with my aunts, uncles, grandfather and mother but most specially my mother. How I wish I can visit this part of my past to witness it like a child again. 

When my mother started to have cancer our Christmas started to change. I started to change. I started not to appreciate the joy of being together until she left us. 

I never grew up rich. Our Christmas was never about what's on the table but with who - being together!

end of part 1... to be continued

Dreams: Fundamentals!

picture source: http://thompaul3.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/live-your-dreams-my-dream-is-23986887-1600-1200.jpg

Dreams? What was mine? When I was child I remember that there was a time that i told my mother that I wanted to be a janitor. I saw them one night in our house and she mentioned it. Everyone laughed and one of them told me that it would not be hard to achieve it. Their laugh indicated that it was not a good dream to chase after. 

A couple of years later. I changed it to become a soldier. But when I was about to enter high school, mother told me that she would not accept less than the Philippine Military Academy. Then, I entered the high school seminary. I swear I made a lot of dreams there. In contrary though becoming a priest was never entertained for a long time. It was a fleeting thought. That would have depend as to where I am. In front of my religious relative, I wanted to be a priest.

When i entered college it was a different story. I dreamed of changing society and the form of government. I was the idealistic ass who thought that what I did was somewhat honorable. I joined in groups after groups participated in activities that added white hairs to my mother's hair. I was convinced that it was the right thing to do. But after I saw the real deal I had to quit.

I went to Manila to take my chances. My family accepted me back. I was on a roll again. I had different plans though. I wanted to be alone. I did not want to be under the wings of my father. I left them to live in a 5x6 apartment. A small one but the sense of freedom gave me solitude. There I dreamed of success again. I had to do stuff that sometimes unethical but was practiced by the people around me. I learned from them. Money was just a phone call away. Life was a happy one. It was a short lived moment though. My girlfriend got pregnant. She was getting sick of the city. So I had to let her go home. Man, the sufferings that I had that time was enormous. I bore it all because that time it was my dream to be a good father to the kid that we had. She gave birth and I have to move to Cebu.

Life was never better. I had to transfer from one job to another. From one call center to the next. One gave me a chance and saw the potential in me. I became a trainer. It was short lived though and I was given a team in operations. Short lived again and I moved out. 

I became a teacher. Convinced that perhaps it was my calling since a lot of my relatives were teachers. I was teaching Koreans to speak English. I was a good one! I was booked from morning till the night. Then, I got tired and a student offered me to help him in making a business in Cebu. Guess what happened? Short lived! It never materialized. I had to go back to the call center world. 

I can proudly say that not a lot of people can do what I have done. Perhaps, none of them are stupid like me or just not talented enough. Sad to admit that until now I have never reached my dream. It started to change as I aged. As I reach other priorities in life my dreams become better or harder. That's the lesson that I learned. Honestly, I can settle for a life of a janitor with a happy family. To be able to say good night to your kids and kiss them. To hear them call you father. I can live with that. But my life now is complicated. I got kids with two different mothers. And I'm neither married to anyone. Got a job that offers me the excitement that I long for. So it's more than the complication itself. 

So what is my dream? I think I would settle for the the most fundamental one. A family!

PNoy's 4th SONA: Ruled by INSENSITIVITY

 by: Silver Cepeda

 

 https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/998525_521423154578169_142664815_n.jpg

FACTS:


"MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The Philippine business process outsourcing (BPO) will continue its upward momentum, with annual revenues seen hitting $16 billion this year as the country remains one of the world's top BPO destinations.
source:" (www.philstar.com)

"The BPO sector has been able to exploit the high-skilled segment of the Philippine population, with its strong English-language capability, and service-friendly personality. It accounts for 15% of the country's exports of goods and services, and the Philippines is now the third largest BPO destination after India and Canada."
source: www.asiancenturyinstitute.com

"Though BPO and IT-related activities accounted for a growing slice of GDP last year and provided employment for 525,000 people in the Philippines, the UNCTAD report noted that more needed to be done to maximise developmental benefits from NEMs so as to protect against what it called their 'footloose' nature."
source: www.bpap.org

 SAD FACTS:

Philippine politics was my game in College. How I wish I still have the flare of that 18 year old youth. Honestly, I know it was the 4th State of the Nation Address of the President today July 22, 2013. Perhaps I got tired of hoping. For the heck of it I turned on the Television. I was waiting for the words "Call Center". Before I cared so much about the country with the feeling that I can save it. However these days, I am satisfied to care about the sector that I work. I wanted to know if there will be changes or at least additional benefits for us. Thus, I waited!

With the facts mentioned above I could not help but wonder if the President knew about it. I mean, he has been thanking people for their achievements. He has been mentioning people from his cabinet. He forgot to express his thanks to the 525,000 people working in the BPO industry. How can he miss that? You might ask, "what does he want? why is it a  big deal?"  $16 billion dollars that's a big deal. That's an amount that cannot be brushed off. Yes, it's not that big compared to the revenue generated by the OFW sector. Don't get me wrong, my father is an OFW. I just felt that the efforts of all my colleagues in the industry is nothing when he said nothing. Well, I guess being in the second spot means you'll be ignored.

Working in a BPO is not easy. It's not something that you want and can just jump in. No! To be part of this industry takes skills. I work in a call center and I know how well we pick our agents. Once you are accepted and would come to work your problem does not end there. Each center has it's own metrics, hit or get fired! In  addition, you normally come at night. Since the call center boom in Philippines the transportation industry adjusted well. So we have 24hr jeepney routes in major cities. But with it comes the 24hr risk of being robbed. Criminals became flexible and would normally target us because they know about our high end phones, gadgets and thick pockets. Now if you manage to avoid this, it's not yet over. The rise of the industry gave way to fly by night centers. These are the worst. They have agents who work and then the next day they shut down or would change name. Overnight their agents are unemployed. We are also not exempted to the fact that some companies would not even remit our mandated government contributions like Phil health, Pagibig and SSS. It's a painful discovery because when you need it and it's there that you can't use it because the company that you worked for is has been deducting you but not remitting. That's not all... There is that health hazard that makes the job harder.

I hope I was able to establish the fact that this is not an easy fix to be here. We push hard so that our families would have that "above poverty"  kind of meals per day. In doing so, we help the economy. In doing so, we help the retail, taxi, house/boarding house industry. Don't you think we deserve the President's thanks? Not mentioning us seemed that he forgot us. It's not just the thanking that I'm disappointed. PNoy mentioned priority bills that would help the army and the rest of the populace. But he forgot to mention the "Magna Carta for Call Center Worker Bill". So I don't know what more to think.

sources:

http://www.bpap.org/media-room/214-the-phil-better-business-process-outsourcing

http://www.asiancenturyinstitute.com/development/203-philippines-opportunity-point

http://www.philstar.com/business/2013/04/02/926266/phl-bpo-industry-revenues-hit-16-b-2013

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/439769/santiago-refiles-magna-carta-for-call-center-workers-bill

Dawn Mass: A confession of a Call Center Agent!

by: Silver Cepeda

The Christmas season started here in the Philippines since September. People would start counting as to how many days are left before that mythical date, December 25! But tomorrow the whole Catholic church would formally start it with the Simbang Gabi (Dawn Masses). 

When I was in the seminary dawn masses marked the beginning of my agony since I have to wake up earlier than the usual 5am.  Adding insult to injury the whole ordeal takes nine days. So I have to wake up early like four in the morning. I dreaded it! No one actually had a choice, it was either the chapel or the prefect of discipline's office. So it was the chapel. The prefect's office was not a good place to be. But then, the laziness that I felt that time would somehow disappear seeing people from the outside world. We would normally invite them for our dawn masses. Considering that they have to walk and wake up earlier than me, I would just suck it up and attentively attend mass. Our former rector would then tell us the reason why we have the dawn masses. I would say  for my four years of high school in the seminary I have memorized the explanation behind. According to him, "We celebrate the dawn masses as a symbol of waiting in the darkness. For the world was in darkness before Christ came into the world". Thus, when he came we were saved. We basked in the light of God's salvation. This is further symbolized by the sun rising up at the end of the mass. Perfect timing!

Now those days are over. I am in a call center or have been in a call center for the past five years. I have never attended a single dawn mass. There was one time when my former company held that. There were people who attended it. But I stayed a little bit far from them and just went up. I had choice this time. Thinking of it right now, I might admit that it was not a good decision. So for those Catholic call center agents. I am not endorsing the said practice. I am not that religious also. It's all up to you! Nevertheless, an idea crossed my mind right now. 

We work and sacrifice for those people that we love. I mean working at night is something, right? Something very hard to do! That is why we are paid higher compared to others. WE do this all for the sake of the people we love. There is a similar person who sacrificed for us two thousand and eleven years ago. He is Christ! He became man and lived among us. He saved us by dying on the cross. He died but lived again! So on this Christmas Season, I think it would also be appropriate to sacrifice for him by dragging our feet towards the church's doors. I know that I will!

Call Center agents:Not the Average Juan dela Cruz

by: Silver Cepeda

Call center, the most sought after job in the Philippines. As of March 2011 it ranked as the second (http://businesstips.ph). So there are many thoughts that go with this job. There are many speculations about its nature. I can still remember the amazement of a friend’s father when I told the process of my job. He gave me a gaping mouth followed up with a big “wow”. He could not believe that someone from Cebu can fix an internet connection of a customer in Texas. Well, it is one positive comment! In another case, I attended a friend’s party in Manila. I was filled with disgust when someone exclaimed that mostly call center agents have AIDS.  The thought of using the word “mostly” disgusted me. I am not! I do not hate people who have this disease. But I also don’t have plans to have one. So what are call center agents? Are they the new hero for this country or just the average Juan dela Cruz?

Call center agent, a person who works in a BPO company that takes call. It might take a long while if I would explain what BPO is. Let me put in a very simple flow. Say you have a company in Manila. Let us say the nature of the business is online buying and selling. Now, people would call on a minute’s basis to buy and sell items. Now you want to save money by lowering your labor cost. As the owner of the company you know that people who are hired in Manila has higher pay compared to, if you hire someone from the provinces. You got the same quality but different pay. So you look for a person that has a center, say in Eastern Samar. And that center can provide you with good service in terms of providing you qualified agents to answer your customers’ calls. As has been discussed previously province rate is lower that to a city rate (considering the Philippine set up). There is a plus since you only have to pay them or the site owner in the province and does not need to worry about facility, etc! Hence, outsourcing is born. And the people who are taking calls are center agents. Normally, though the term “call center” is used to address people who are in the outsourcing business. If you understand it, then we are fine if not I would love a comments!

The world was at its knees during the recession period not so long ago. Countries like America suffered so much. Some of its renowned companies that belonged to the fortune 500 lost its luster or died along the way. However, in spite of this unfortunate development, Philippines did not suffer that much. Outsourcing became the trend that time. For a company owner in the United States, it was an assured way to maintain operation while saving some money or lowering down labor cost. While here in the Philippines it was an industry that boosted the economy. Dollars were still dollars and thus we became stable. Now, BPO is an industry worth $14B! This is second to the OFW’s generated dollar revenue. The industry’s (BPO) growth could have never been realized if not for those people who stayed up at night and talk to irate American customers. The industry grew and so did the country. Sacrifices were made and here we are! A few weeks ago a report was shown in CNN branding Philippines as the new call Center KING! That is something…

Thus, I can say that call center agents are not just the average Juan dela Cruz not that I am undermining somebody or what. I am just expressing an opinion. OFWs get a lot of privileges because they more dollars. I think a little bit of respect is fine also for people in the BPO industry. It starts with removing the prejudicial term of “AIDS” infected. Because come to think of it without them or us, this country could never be as such at least economically speaking.  

BPO Companies in the Philippines puts food on the Table

by: Silver Cepeda

The Philippines has been invaded! But before you react to anything, it is best to read the rest of this article. Wednesday, December 1 CNN showed and proclaimed that Philippines is the new call center KING. Are we? The article highlighted a call center wherein agents were taking calls. If my memory serves me right that was E-Business. It is one of the few call centers or should I say BPOs that invaded the country. So let me calm your mind. This is not a hostile invasion. This is the type that everyone loved.

There was a time wherein the employment situation of this country was about to hit the pavement. People decided that it was better to go abroad than be stuck here and rot. It was dark ages. There is a scene that I cannot forget at that time. I was with my family sending my dad to Saudi. He had to work there because in his own words, “there is no more money in the Philippines”. It was a painful departure. So painful that I was committed to make sure that I will not leave my own family for monetary purpose. It was a promise made at a young age. It got stuck and thus I never left the country.

Years after, a dad with a degree in Philosophy – this was where I stood after my graduation. It was tough as I can imagine. The future was blurring. Clearly no doors would open for someone whose degree does not have a concrete “belongingness”. However like a zap of miracle I found myself in a BPO company’s doorstep with a resume. I was there to apply and got hired at the same day. It was my first but definitely not my last. In there I found many people who were like me – lost. They did not know where to go. They only had one thing – English speaking skill. In this place we belonged. In this place we flourished and grow with our family.

BPO companies in the Philippines are such a growing trend. A growth that saves a country called the Philippines. They are like an energy source that rejuvenated the economy of this country stricken with crises. This year’s predicted revenue for the industry is at $14 Billion. And that is not in peso but in shining dollars. Economists would say that it is second to OFW’s generated revenue. Well, it is safe to say that they are the ones responsible for the food that my daughter eats and the high class milk that she drinks every night. Not only for mine, but also for the many sons and daughter whose parents would slip out in the darkness of the night to work. BPO, an acronym which my most precious girl in the world memorized when asked where his father works. I was able to make my promise stand – thanks to my American employer!

On Philippines being proclaimed as the new call center KING – it’s appropriate. It has been the lifeline of many people in this country. Thus, it has expanded. It has built an empire. It has been revered as such then. As I said, it is the only invasion that we have ever welcomed and loved!