A GROUP of call center workers again lashed at Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas’ claim that the country’s business process outsourcing industry owes him their employment and said the growth of the industry was due mainly to the talent of Filipino workers.
“To let you know, despite the competitive global environment, the Philippines has established itself as the best destination for BPO operations not because of Mar Roxas but due to the exceptional and first-class service that the Filipino BPO workers provide to its clients,” an open letter of the BPO Industry Employees Network Philippines read.
“Let us remind you that it is the government’s obligation to generate employment to the Filipino people. It is something that the government must do because it is the responsibility of the state to provide employment opportunities to its people… We owe nothing to Roxas, Aquino and the entire Liberal Party,” the group added.
The group issued the statement after Roxas supporter Carlos Celdran severely criticized a BPO worker on Facebook after he disputed the claim of Roxas that BPO workers owe all their benefits to Roxas and the ruling Liberal Party.
“Dear Millennial BPO in the skinny Uniqlo jeans frantically typing on your glittery iPhone6, bitching about Mar, the Liberal Party and desperately needing change in your life as you SIT there with a Starbucks Latte in hand: Yes. Your new car’s plates took a while to get and you hate EDSA’s hideous traffic. But chew on this and eat it: Without Mar and the Liberal Party, you WOULDN’T have that car NOR the job which paid for your freaking oversized Starbucks,” Celdran’s post read.
But the group disputed Celdran’s claims and said BPO workers themselves who should take credit for the Philippines’ strong showing as the world’s BPO capital.
“Let us stress that we give credits if the credit is due. Justifiably on this issue, we give credits to the hardworking BPO workers who made significant contribution to the Philippine economy through tax revenues on wages, and not to Roxas.”
“You must understand that with or without Mar Roxas, the BPO companies are strategically targeting the Asia-Pacific region, specifically the Philippines, as its destination for capital investments,” the group said.
“It’s a given since the Philippines has a vast pool of robust and dedicated English-speaking talents. Aside from the noted indicators, these companies targeted the Philippines because it offers tax incentive programs and the labor market is way cheaper than its competitors,” they added.
On numerous occasions, Roxas insisted that he created more than a million jobs in the BPO industry and that he would repeat at creating more jobs for the Filipino people.
The group also criticized Celdran and said the government has failed to address the real concerns of the BPO industry, like disparate working conditions for workers, unfair labor practices, exploitative “self-regulation” policy of industry players and absence of a BPO labor standard.
“The data shows that the disparity of the wages is undeniably irrational considering that the price of Starbucks coffee in Manila is the same as those of outside the NCR. Although the payout is relatively high compared to minimum wage earners, the salary is completely far-off from the cost of living allowance pegged at PHP 1066 per day for a family of six.”
“If you are not aware of these realities, then please do not speak as if you know our situation and the industry better. We suggest that you include visiting BPO workplaces on your tours to better understand our plight.”