Industry

How the BPO Industry Changed Common Filipino Lives

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 have been making a dramatic effect in the lives of common Filipinos. Through the years, it made significant changes on 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 a dramatic progress and have always been revolutionizing and innovating since then. It opened hundreds and thousands of jobs and made a great effect in 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 have been making a dramatic effect in the lives of common Filipinos. Through the years, it made significant changes on 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 was slim. Other professions only offer minimum wages or a just a little more of it. The chances of being promoted oftentimes took too many years and that some, despite years of fidelity to a company have 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 is known for granting better salary to employees as compared to other businesses. Workers feel that their hardwork are being paid off well. Majority of the BPO companies gives salary to trainees for them earn while acquiring new skills. Salaries 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 only a couple of years.

Claire David White
Claire White: Claire, a consumer psychologist, offers unique insights into consumer behavior and market research in her blog.