tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46451957796672537662024-03-05T00:01:54.912-08:00Philippines News CenterAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15831240168703841455noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4645195779667253766.post-66671696102294957702013-01-17T23:57:00.000-08:002013-01-27T23:58:11.983-08:00Doing Business in the Philippines - Call Centers Come to Life at Night<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LiVOA0Y3TGTvptvIbvR38_kZrOMvLxUNkO2yxLTT_kEr9iCE88u0XyMOd5nE5yZrzG7k8AdHBsMvOzQacBp8zASL7fSG1XGOu6erGTWlIYkbOxcUQNvBX9BZrZ5HiBS-1Ff904ilfxw/s1600/Doing+Business+in+the+Philippines+-+Call+Centers+Come+to+Life+at+Night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LiVOA0Y3TGTvptvIbvR38_kZrOMvLxUNkO2yxLTT_kEr9iCE88u0XyMOd5nE5yZrzG7k8AdHBsMvOzQacBp8zASL7fSG1XGOu6erGTWlIYkbOxcUQNvBX9BZrZ5HiBS-1Ff904ilfxw/s320/Doing+Business+in+the+Philippines+-+Call+Centers+Come+to+Life+at+Night.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Outsourcing is the fastest growing industry in the Philippines, ranks
second to India worldwide on the strength of its excellent reputation
for voice based communications and expertise in back office processes
like accounting, bookkeeping and web development. It helps that the
country has embraced the social network revolution in a big way, first
with Friendster (largest demographic) and now Facebook where 1 in 4
online Filipinos maintain an account. A growing cadre of Virtual
Assistants, SEO experts and Customer Service agents crowd the streets of
Philippine business centers of Makati, Ortigas, the Fort and Cebu.
Companies looking to harness this valuable resource must consider how
the country's labor pool function when confronted by changing political
and socioeconomic realities. A quick visit to callcenterseats.com gave
me a good sample of available knowledge workers in Metro Manila alone.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The
corner of Legazpi St. and Rada St. was your typical big city street
scene - bustling traffic, swarming lunch traffic, daily urban noise. Who
would have imagined this scene at midnight? Starbucks compete with
7-11s in every corner. While McDo and KFC serve it hot at 2am. Welcome
to Makati City's new night life. This is the new business environment.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We
see the dynamics of this industry 4 months later, when the same call
centers around Makati are buzzing with animated chatter about the latest
political scandals rocking the Philippines. New witnesses give more
weight to recent allegations of extreme corruption in high places,
senate hearings fill the airwaves and make daily news headlines. Its
impossible to ignore but what do our new heroes have to say about it
all?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
" Its sad about the state of our nation, but I have a quota
to fill otherwise I'll never be a permanent employee...", says Jules
Young, longtime Assistforce Virtual Assistant, underscoring the
importance of business as usual over politics.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Sana binigay na
lang nila ang perang kikitain sa tao, e di may pambili na sila nang
calling card na benta naming sa trabaho!" (I'd much prefer getting the
money back from all the corruption, then the people can use the money to
buy phone calling cards - more business for us!) - Joanna Enerlan,
Assistforce web designer.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When asked about the rallies scheduled
in Makati that afternoon and if they are joining, most begged off,
citing the need to sleep and prepare for the night shift.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This
month's topic of interest: GMA announces her bid for Congress in 2010.
Predictably, there are no protests, strikes, nothing. People are in the
business of making a living working at night servicing businesses in New
York and Los Angeles - can't spend too much time in politics when
there's only so much hours in a day to sleep.</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15831240168703841455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4645195779667253766.post-63354276877616448132013-01-14T23:55:00.000-08:002013-01-27T23:55:58.952-08:00Asian Models All The Rage In Luxury World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7EZJvuwGveA1QxOx4wJQxH7VLQH1WaEchT-9L8XIZ1ejC-2YwfJiwlMh_tiF3unGbHWz3y6Z2HipM3gPmXksqVIUfRaDpODgpmS9orZemKfp9Ax3prIBSLKjk9TJV98vYlHj8cdEDME/s1600/Asian+Models+All+The+Rage+In+Luxury+World.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7EZJvuwGveA1QxOx4wJQxH7VLQH1WaEchT-9L8XIZ1ejC-2YwfJiwlMh_tiF3unGbHWz3y6Z2HipM3gPmXksqVIUfRaDpODgpmS9orZemKfp9Ax3prIBSLKjk9TJV98vYlHj8cdEDME/s320/Asian+Models+All+The+Rage+In+Luxury+World.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
China’s Liu Wen may not yet have the sizzling star power of Brazilian
supermodel Gisele Bundchen, but she is leading a bevy of Asian beauties
down the world’s top catwalks – and onto global billboards.<br />
<br />
The scramble by Western brands to feature Asian faces in ad campaigns
and eye-catching runway shows from New York to Paris – where fashion
week began on Tuesday – parallels Asia’s rising clout in the world of
luxury goods.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Experts say while foreign labels are hoping to connect with new
customers across the region – especially in China – by offering them
models with a more familiar look, the Asian craze also reflects the
globalisation of the sector.<br />
<br />
“Savvier companies are using Asian models to penetrate the China market
and try to create an emotional bond with consumers, and to give an
aspiration that Chinese can look up to,” Shaun Rein, the Shanghai-based
managing director of China Market Research Group, told AFP.<br />
<br />
The 23-year-old Liu last year became the first Asian face of beauty
brand Estee Lauder, and her runway calendar has been booked solid since
her debut in 2008.<br />
<br />
In late 2010, she strutted her stuff for US lingerie giant Victoria’s
Secret for the second year running – the only Chinese woman to have done
so.<br />
<br />
Her compatriot Shu Pei, 21, is one of the faces of Maybelline cosmetics –
a role also filled by Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi of “Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon” fame – and also stars in print ads for the Gap brand.<br />
<br />
And teenager Danica Magpantay of the Philippines was in January selected
as Supermodel of the World by the prestigious Ford modeling agency –
and promptly marched straight onto the catwalks in New York last month.<br />
<br />
But Asian women are not the only ones making waves in the fashion world.<br />
<br />
In January, Taiwanese-Canadian actor Godfrey Gao was named the first
Asian face of Louis Vuitton, striking a pose in the French house’s ads
with a sleek checkered messenger bag – the new staple of the upwardly
mobile Chinese man.<br />
<br />
“When you look at some of these brands like Louis Vuitton, they are
generating a significant portion of their global revenue in China, so it
makes sense to have Asian models,” Rein says.<br />
<br />
China is the world’s fastest-growing market for luxury goods and is
forecast to be the world’s top buyer of such products as cosmetics,
handbags, watches, shoes and clothes by 2015, according to consultancy
PriceWaterhouseCoopers.<br />
<br />
Industry heavyweights such as Chanel, Vuitton and Versace are
well-established in China, but others like Chloe – a French label with a
reputation for ultra-feminine casual chic – are looking to make a mark.<br />
<br />
Chloe chief executive Geoffroy de la Bourdonnaye, who was in Shanghai
last week for a special runway show celebrating the label’s fifth
anniversary in China, said brands would use Asian models, but only when
it suits their image.<br />
<br />
“Chloe is a brand of the world and the world is now fully mixed – races
and cultures. It’s only natural that Asian models are becoming more and
more important,” De La Bourdonnaye said during a group interview.<br />
<br />
“We’ve had some Asian models. We will continue to have Asian models. But the majority of our models are Caucasian,” he said.<br />
<br />
“Whether they are Asian or not is not the number one criteria. It’s more personality and the type.”<br />
<br />
Frederic Godart, a France-based professor at international business
school INSEAD whose research focuses on fashion, says while the luxury
industry is “seeing a Chinese moment”, labels still need to appeal to
customers worldwide.<br />
<br />
“The use of Asian models by Western brands is a way to look more
global,” Godart told AFP. “Everyone in the fashion and luxury industries
wants to look global and trendy by using models from elsewhere.”<br />
<br />
Liu – who is wrapping up the month-long autumn/winter 2011 ready-to-wear
catwalk marathon in Paris after stops in New York, London and Milan –
knows that Asian models still have a long way to go before they become
mainstream.<br />
<br />
“The challenge for me, and for Asian models in general, has been
convincing editors, stylists and photographers that we can have mass
appeal,” she told US Vogue for a December spread on Asia’s rising stars. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15831240168703841455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4645195779667253766.post-4812986863269475782013-01-10T23:50:00.000-08:002013-01-27T23:53:16.552-08:00Why Scuba Diving in the Philippines Is Very Popular<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1jCH4RRrY0Mv1rWE2s2TxZdNsZMygS7BfRN_OgGRfzW4Anmp0Bqz1V3Rfkj1RpltdrJ8_x0u4tn0g39LcA-gIAvp3d76axqts3omMYsMtKy627xJwrA9mdMF8Kt74WEMnGlu7mwwZkQ/s1600/Why+Scuba+Diving+in+the+Philippines+Is+Very+Popular.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1jCH4RRrY0Mv1rWE2s2TxZdNsZMygS7BfRN_OgGRfzW4Anmp0Bqz1V3Rfkj1RpltdrJ8_x0u4tn0g39LcA-gIAvp3d76axqts3omMYsMtKy627xJwrA9mdMF8Kt74WEMnGlu7mwwZkQ/s320/Why+Scuba+Diving+in+the+Philippines+Is+Very+Popular.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
With all the news we heard about our marine life destruction, it is
still a fascination to know that Philippines has maintained some places
untouched making it one of the most preferred scuba diving spots in the
world. That is why scuba diving in the Philippines is well known and
many tourists are drawn to coming back here most of the time.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What
makes Philippines a more appealing spot for scuba diving is its
abundance in seas and beaches where you can do this. With a coastline of
36,289 kilometers, you will never run out of choices to enjoy your
diving experience. With varieties on the mode of transportations, divers
find it easier and quicker to go to their preferred diving spots. From
the three main islands in the Philippines, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,
you can always find a place to dive. Accessibility has become one of the
reasons why divers chose to do it here in the Philippines. From its
main international airport, you can go to Batangas or Puerto Galera to
go scuba diving within just a few hours. One example is Anilao in
Batangas. This place boasts that they have a clear visibility of sea all
year round. In Puerto Galera, it has many diving spots that you can
choose from and has many places to stay to during your vacation.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If
you are going to the Visayan region of the Philippines, the most
popular diving spot among tourists is Malapascua. This place is also
known for shark sightings.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
On the southern part of the country,
you have Mindanao where a couple of beaches are perfect for scuba diving
like Dakak and Pearl Farm.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In Palawan, you will find the most
well known Tubbataha reef, which is declared as a world heritage site
and one of the wonders of the world. With the highly guarded place,
reservations are made a year ahead or years ahead before you can do your
diving here. However, for anyone who has gone here already, divers said
that waiting is worth the wait and declaring it as such is just a
deserving reward for Tubbataha.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Climate is also one of the reasons
why scuba diving has become so popular in the Philippines. There are
only two seasons here: wet and dry. Dry seasons starts from March until
early part of June. This is the best time to do scuba diving. You will
find many scuba divers with you, which will make it more fun and
enjoying. You may choose to do it with your friend or you can always
have a professional diver with you for your own safety.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Cold
months are from November to February. You may still do your scuba diving
during these months though there will still be some unexpected rain
showers that may become a nuisance during diving. Wet season is a big NO
for divers, definitely. Storms, strong rains and winds can be very
harmful. It is at your own risk if you choose to continue.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Since
it has become one of the leading activities, you will find that each
diving spots has ready equipment for you to rent or buy for your own. In
cases, you forgot one of your gears or it got broken, you will it handy
that these stores exist when you need them most. Places to stay is not a
problem since there are cottages or little cabanas, more like an
apartment, that you can rent during your stay. Rental prices are fair
enough compared to other diving spots outside the country, which makes
it more appealing to do your scuba diving in the Philippines.</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15831240168703841455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4645195779667253766.post-30771912117748022742013-01-07T21:49:00.000-08:002013-01-27T23:50:06.737-08:00Philippines Home-based Call Centers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSGa-XwZsg-AsPGdgAjyTm1mIn9fcPuaaz0UzWNvwe3_7fMZUch4nppGYhOIzFFj-ZB04aF3e1ZHq_Ulj63KJesjEX7Kj_DAFkH1hViabMnUoPxjuvNpYGfPeOijJSN_rzmG-xCbvhCI/s1600/Philippines+Home-based+Call+Centers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSGa-XwZsg-AsPGdgAjyTm1mIn9fcPuaaz0UzWNvwe3_7fMZUch4nppGYhOIzFFj-ZB04aF3e1ZHq_Ulj63KJesjEX7Kj_DAFkH1hViabMnUoPxjuvNpYGfPeOijJSN_rzmG-xCbvhCI/s1600/Philippines+Home-based+Call+Centers.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Experts urged Philippines call centers to try home-based operations with
home based agents. One of those is William Dieu, senior research
analyst from callcentres dot net. However, Benedict Hernandez, senior
vice president and general manager for Philippines of eTelecare, said
technological factors hinder the development of this kind of job. Also,
John Langford, executive vice president of ICT group, said it will take
time before this system is adapted. Lots of news about home-based
operations of call center has been discussed. US is surviving this kind
of set up, the industry has been in the United States but this set-up
has been used only in the last five years. And according to some news
this is effective in US. Philippines as one of the most famous countries
leading of having a successful call center industry is now opening its
perspective about operating the home-based call center industry.
Furthermore, It is expected that Philippines could be able to operate
this kind of work since Philippines is a competitive country in dealing
with call center industry like US.<br />
<br />
The Philippines call center industry, is now being feared as possibly a
bubble industry as well. With analysts predicting the downfall of the
call center industry possibly sooner than the later due to stiff global
competition. but the latest trend of home based call center startups
will alter this fate. As to what kind of individual is best suited for
this job opportunity, one may base this on the job specifications. As of
now, little statistics or news is available to gauge the success rate
of home based call centers. Considering, however, that these call
centers will still earn in dollars, profitably may probably better than
the other locally sourced home-based opportunities, Interested
individuals must beware, however, of business offers that are not backed
up with proper licensing as these may simply yet another strategy of
con artists to embezzle their hard-earned money.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
LDP Business reported that British workers will be laid off because Shop
Direct had planned to close a call center in Crosby. A company’s
support has been frightened by a business who finds for work-at-home
call center personnel who’ll be hired in Philippines. One of Shop
Direct's partners, Arise Virtual Solutions stated that before the year
ends, they expected to have 5 or 6 clients in UK. They need to recruit
1,000 clients in which 300 of them will work for the so called
home-based business to be located in the North-eastern part of United
States. But the uncertain part of it is that the staff needs to pay for
their own setup expenses. By the end of April, Online and catalog
retailer Shop Direct will close its Crosby call center which will result
to the lay-off of 1,000 jobs.<br />
<br />
Philippine call centers are urged to try home-based operations to curb
high attrition rate and increase employee satisfaction. Based from the
present data of Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP),
the hire rate in the contact center industry was only about 5 to 10 from
100 applicants. Doctolero said that he will be proposing the
work-from-home agents in a meeting with call center companies. When an
agent works from home, the one-X Agent will provide easy access to both
agent and contact Centre Company. It will run using Microsoft Windows.
It has a pop-up information screen that will provide basic information
that is essential to the caller. The agent can pre-record a welcome
message for the callers. By means of the wizard and tutorials, agents
can simply run the software at home.
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15831240168703841455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4645195779667253766.post-22733759870955921472013-01-03T23:45:00.000-08:002013-01-27T23:46:04.026-08:00Saving the Best For Last<div style="text-align: justify;">
December of 2006 when my wife's relatives from Australia came to the
Philippines to spend their Christmas holiday. We were ecstatic in our
preparation to delight these balikbayan relatives at the very least,
letting them experience once again how is to be Christmas in the
Philippines. We decided to have our dinner in a sea food restaurant
along Macapagal Boulevard, known for its festive ambiance come night
time. At the dinner, I remained timid as always though bit observant of
almost everything that is going on around the dinner table. As everybody
is having their meal, I noticed my sister in-law painstakingly peeling
of the shells of a large size sugpo (shrimp), and carefully set it aside
her plate. When the dinner was about to end and it was time to foot the
bill, my son saw the peeled off shrimp near her aunt's plate. Thinking
that her aunt no longer wanted to eat those, he tweaked it from his
aunt's plate and PRESTO! It was all gone in seconds. My sister-in law
was so furious and berated her nephew by saying, "di mo ba alam
itinitira ko yun para sa huling subo? (Don't you know I reserved it for
my last bite?). Everybody was laughing at my sister-in law for how the
best that she had saved ended as the last bite of my son.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Test of Life</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It
was also that same year when we experienced life's most difficult test.
I left my lucrative job in the semiconductor industry because of
personal differences with my boss and settled for another job that pays
relatively lesser than what I used to receive. With the kind of
lifestyle, we found ourselves in the difficult situation of transition.
Gone were the days of family's usual weekend get-away outside Manila.
The countless Friday dinner dates with my wife and the Sunday treats for
the entire family were all vanished in an instant, together with my
pride and self-esteem.
<br />My new job as a Manager in a fashion retail company demands time
more than what I can give to myself and family. My health succumbed to
the pressure of stressful work and so as the intimacy in the family.
After consulting my wife, I decided to leave the company and settled for
small business at home. The business though profitable didn't provide
enough for the family's needs and we were facing then the toughest
question; can we still afford our children's high cost of education?
That time, I was considering to downgrade my children's school; - from
private to public, an option that my wife doesn't agreed. With no other
options left but abroad, for me is a bitter pill to swallow.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Gone for abroad</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
August
of 2007, I packed my things for abroad armed with hope of giving better
future for my family. There I left my wife, a son and three daughters.
While I was toiling away in a foreign soil, I managed to exchange
communications with my family and she makes sure to update me every time
even the smallest and trivial things that are happening back home. Our
life improves a bit and we were slowly picking up fragments of our
broken dreams. "This is the kind of break I need", I quipped.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Tragedy</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A
month before Christmas, I was busy filling up and checking the list of
my pasalubong inside the balik-bayan box and making sure that everything
is complete and that nobody will be missed out. Canned goods,
chocolates, toys, shoes, perfumes and clothes were all perfectly
selected based on my kid's preference. While packing the boxes, I
remember my daughter's constant prodding, "Daddy, kailan mo papadala
yung yung gift mo sa akin?" (Daddy when will you send your gift for me?)
"Malapit na, basta bago mag Pasko" (In due time, I will send it before
Christmas) was my reply. "This time I'm sure they all going to' like it
because these are nothing but the best" I remember telling myself.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Days
had past and Christmas is just around the corner and it was Sunday,
just a typical working day for me in the office. It's almost past 12
noon and still never received any text messages from my wife or my
children. Though quite unusual but I thought they are just busy. I sent a
text message to my wife to check if everything is okay but still
haven't got a reply from her. That Sunday proved to be the most
difficult test of my life. I received news that my wife and three
daughters ages 2, 7 and 12 got involved in a vehicular accident while
inside a jeepney on their way to the church. The vehicle they were
riding was rammed by a wayward truck while it is crossing the
intersection of San Andres Street and Osmena highway. My two younger
daughters were slightly injured for they were cushioned by the bodies of
other passengers that filed on top of them.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
My eldest daughter
was thrown out of the vehicle because of the impact of the collision and
escaped death only by a hairline; thank God that there were no oncoming
vehicles to the spot where she landed. The young lady sitting beside
her was badly hurt and her leg was later amputated due to the severity
of the injury. The old lady; a 'balikbayan' (returnee) sitting next to
my wife didn't have the luck; she died on her way to the hospital. My
wife who happens to be sitting in the last row near the vehicle egress
absorbed most of the injury that could have been for my children. After
having been thrown outside the jeep, though conscious but her vision was
too blurred caused by the impact of her head hitting the pavement. With
her remaining strength, she struggled to reach for my daughter who was
crying in pain while being lifted by a bystander to safety. She cried
for help from other bystanders to remove my two younger daughters still
pinned inside the jeep with files of bleeding and unconscious
passengers.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Saving the Best for Last</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When that news was
relayed to me, I was in the office and I couldn't remember if I cried.
All I know is that I was dumb-founded, motion less and I don't even know
how I would react. At that instance, I realized that everything I
saved, the people I cared about and good future that I hope for can
render futile in just an instant. When I came back to my room that
Sunday evening, I saw the balikbayan (returnee) boxes sitting in one
corner of the room. I opened the boxes and saw how the stuffs were
carefully and neatly arranged inside but almost could be rendered nearly
worthless by that accident.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Learning Curve</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
That accident
had opened my eyes on the deeper understanding of life. My desire to
achieve the best of everything out of this world defines the kind of
life that most of us is creating in the process, hence neglecting the
very purpose of our life. We often enslaved ourselves to work limiting
our role as a parent to just a provider. How often we failed to visit
our mother on her birthday because we are busy with our work? How many
times did I forget to greet my wife on our wedding anniversary because I
was preoccupied by my thoughts of work? Life is short and we have to
make the most out of it every single day. The love that we keep inside
should be expressed for no one knows what will happen tomorrow.</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15831240168703841455noreply@blogger.com