THE START OF CALL CENTER
I first encountered the word Call Center was back in year 2001, it was a fresh word for me and I just knew that the job is for people who accept calls and connect you to another phone line, just like a phone operator. Well, its normally called a phone operator back in 90’s but then the job evolves to a more respected title and we didn’t know that it will change more lives of Filipinos after the succeeding year.
As time goes by, I encountered another word – Business Process Outsource or BPO, it’s an outsourcing a service operation to a third party service provider located locally or abroad. People do the business processing here in Manila and they serve clients or customers based in the US and other countries. The word “outsource” was the 3rd word added in the mouths of businesses and service provider. It was a trend during the early year of 2000, local business owners did grabbed the same concept and adapting to outsource level, adding more jobs to us Filipinos.
THE GROWTH OF BPO
Most BPO centers are put up by foreign companies, but later on these foreign companies anchored already in the Philippines for a long time because the business expand so fast and it serviced the BPO customers with good quality service by Filipinos. These foreign companies loved us and they stayed and became the pioneers of call center business and BPO here in the Philippines.
Take note that last 2014, we got now a total of 36 biggest BPO firms in the country. (source). And this will continue to grow because it helps not only our country men but also helps the growth of our business industry.
BENEFITS OF BPO
The BPO industry grew and was well accepted by many. Because it’s a respected job to people especially to those who didn’t finish college. The BPO industry opened up a lot of opportunities to under graduate students to have a regular job with good salary, most of these people finished college after being hired and some of them put up their own business to sustain their future, even others put up their own BPO office.
The awesome part here is that BPO even accepts PWD people to work with them. It doesn’t matter if you have a disability problems, at the BPO office, there are opportunities for PWD to work like normal people, there are no discrimination and issues, the BPO needs the people’s skills and mind set to do the job done. And I learned that there are BPO offices in the country that service another PWD customers located in other countries. The work force is always available in a BPO whenever you are a normal or PWD person.
Not only the job hunters and job seekers got the benefit, take note that we have micro entrepreneurs around the BPO office who grew their business with the help of the expansion of BPO in the country. They service not only the local town folks, but also the BPO employees who works nearby.
BIG THANKS
Thanks to Mar Roxas for his effort in bringing BPO here in the Philippines. I learned an info that back in year 2000, he was named as Chairman of the Information Technology and Electronic Commerce Council. Its a program formed by our government and private sector to monitor the implementation of E-commerce law and programs for the growth of IT enabled services. Also Mar Roxas launches "Make IT Philippines", and organized the first IT enabled services for the US which led a lot of businesses to invest more here in the Philippines. He also promoted the BPO market in the Philippines and also pioneered the establishment of high tech industry centers. Placing the Philippines on the map as a major It and BPO destination.
THE FUTURE
The future is…BPO is here to stay and expect more IT enabled companies that will put up more jobs for us pinoys. The evolution and growth of a BPO business and its work force will be more better in the next coming years because it eliminates the old tradition that prevents the employees to earn more and today, it gives the employees more hope and allows them to grow with the the BPO.
