The Overseas Worker and the Talking Bird

Offshore Outsourcing in the Philippines was not welcomed with open arms by some Filipinos during its debut in the first days of the year 2000. However, in a closer look, the BPO industry has been making a dramatic effect in the lives of ordinary Filipinos. Through the years, Filipino workers it made significant changes in how people look at their professional and personal lives. The Philippine BPO service provider industry practically saved the nation from a potential economic downfall during the height of the recent worldwide economic recession. BPO companies remained strong amidst left, and right company shutdowns and BPO workers stayed secure in their jobs as the unemployment rate zoomed up. And when a catastrophic chain of events followed, the BPO industry became the stronghold of thousands of Filipino workers, keeping them up throughout the hard times. Offshore Outsourcing in the Philippines was not welcomed with open arms by some Filipinos during its debut in the first days of the year 2000. Some spoke of disapproval to the named "dead-end job" due to reasons of unusual working time, health-related complaints and many others. These rumors were spread throughout and made a bad image out of the then growing industry. Despite these, the industry made dramatic progress and have always been revolutionizing and innovating since then. It opened hundreds and thousands of jobs and produced a significant effect on the lives of people. Even if some Filipino workers at first showed indifference towards BPO jobs here in the Philippines, the industry has provided thousands of them with a helping hand in the face of growing poverty, unemployment, and underemployment. The industry's contribution was so enormous that it surpassed other industries especially in giving compensations and benefits to the workers. The formerly-dubbed "dead-end job" became "the job" for thousands of graduates especially those in the fields of IT, law, accounting, human resource, and health care, among others. As time went by, the number of those who opt to work in the BPO industry continued to rise. Facilities for the BPO industries were built and have generated more and more BPO jobs here in the Philippines. In a closer look, the BPO industry has been making a dramatic effect in the lives of commo Filipinos. Through the years, it made significant changes in how people look at their professional and personal lives. In the past years, chances of landing a good job and receiving a rather decent pay were slim. Other professions only offer minimum wages or just a little more of it. The chances of being promoted often took too many years and that some, despite years of fidelity to a company has not even been promoted until retirement. Personal success back then seemed to be a painstaking task, and the opportunity only opens to a few people who are remarkably adept in the profession or field of work. Former professional perceptions and outlook on success changed when the Philippine BPO service provider industry rose up. Average degree holders are now able to earn more than the usual. BPO businesses in the country are known for granting a better salary to employees as compared to other companies. Workers feel that their hard work is being paid off well. Majority of the BPO companies gives salary to trainees for them earn while acquiring new skills. Wages go higher when one is eventually employed after the training, but it does not stop there; employees who even started from scratch have high potentials for promotions once they perform their jobs pretty well and have offered years of loyalty to the company. Stepping up of the corporate scale only take a few years, or perhaps just a couple of years. Perhaps, because of the satisfaction that Filipino workers found in the cradle of the BPO industry are the reason behind the former's continuous advancement. Employees perform well in their jobs because they are well-compensated. And even if the industry still receives negative feedbacks, thousands persists on working in it, to the point that even those people who are already employed prefer to transfer to BPO companies. Because of the doors of opportunities opened for the Filipino people by BPO companies, they can now be more confident of a prosperous and better future, and they know that these can only be attained through hard work. The industry also gives chances for undergraduates to work while earning units in college and finish off their college education. For BPO Filipino workers, the industry has turned their aspirations into reality.