( Editorial: The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author. )
The Philippines - Most Americans think that India is the call center capital of the world. They're wrong. Within the past year, Manila has earned that distinction. In 2011, the Philippines overtook India as the top call center outsourcing destination for global, particularly North American, companies.
What is the Philippines' roadmap for success? We explore three areas where Filipinos are excelling in a competitive global marketplace.
1.) BPO / Call Centers - The business process outsourcing (BPO) industry now represents about one-tenth of GDP. Across the globe, the BPO industry rakes in $110 billion in revenue each year, and the Philippines is progressively getting a larger chunk of that pie.
In 2011, Philippine-based call centers generated $10.9 billion in revenue, representing five precent of the local economy, according to the Business Process Association of the Philippines. By 2016, that figure is expected to increase 130 percent to $25 billion annually.
What about productivity levels? Seven hundred employees can process up to a million calls per month. The performance of call center agents have boosted the nation's confidence. Filipinos now know that, with skills and hard work, their country plays an important role in the global economy.
"These are not dark days; these are great days - the greatest days our country has ever lived; and we must all thank God that we have been allowed, each of us according to our stations, to play a part in making these days memorable in the history of our race." - Winston Churchill
The local BPO industry is creating a sizable middle class that, in effect, will improve the nation's stewardship and administration. Afterall, it's the educated, professionalized middle class that rejects political ineptitude, corruption, and other forms of social dysfunction.
Millions of new jobs have also established the work ethic in the Filipino. A person with a striving mindset is less likely to depend on handouts from the government or from rich individuals. They want to have ownership of their success. A person with a job becomes responsible because they have responsibilities.
Call center agents, who typically receive health care benefits and earn anywhere between $500 to $1,000 per month, have generated billions of dollars in disposable income and investment capital. This new wealth supports local businesses as well as provides seed capital to fund new ones.
The result? Power and influence is being diluted in a country where fortunes have traditionally been concentrated within land-owning elites and the crony, quid pro quo establishment.
2.) Sports - International competitive athletics may not be a significant revenue generator in the aggregate, but the efforts of world-class Filipino athletes have brought immense pride to a country historically shunned by the West.
Iran, Pakistan, India and North Korea want nuclear weapons to validate their national esteem. In the Olympic tradition, Filipinos simply want to beat foreigners in friendly games to validate theirs.
That involves boxing, billiards, chess - along with admirable attempts at soccer and basketball. Manny Pacquiao, Nonito Donaire, Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, and Wesley So are among those that have placed the Philippines squarely on the world stage. They have boosted morale and given hope to the masses.
(And if we add entertainment, Lea Salonga, Charice Pempengco, Arnel Pineda, and Apl De Ap would be included in the modern heros list.)
3.) OFWs - The remittances of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have long been the backbone of the local economy. That figure jumped 7.2 percent to a record $20.12 billion in 2011, or roughly 10 percent of GDP.
With about 10 million Filipinos living abroad, or about 10 percent of the population, their employment income has improved the quality of life for millions of families at home. Most work as nurses in North America with millions more doing manual and construction labor in the Middle East and around Asia.
The sacrifices of OFWs are especially poignant. Unlike BPO agents and athletes, they must seek a better life for their loved ones while being separated from them for extended periods. As the years go by, they adopt the lifestyles of the local culture, and the Philippines increasingly becomes a distant memory from the past.
Still, the nobility of their intent qualifies OFWs as heroes.
It was John F. Kennedy who said, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." OFWs sacrifice for their families, and for their country. Whatever work they do, they excel.
Copyright 2012 Marv Dumon. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed. All rights reserved.
Comments