on Asiatown IT Park, BPOs and work

This is a repost from another blog just because I feel like posting it again. Hehe.

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Random shot at Jollibee, IT Park.

It’s nice cause more and more establishments here in the Asiatown IT Park in Lahug are offering wifi connections. I just wish it would be free rather than having to purchase a meal or so. But then it would mean that I’m asking for too much. Still, a one hour connection for a value meal is already affordable enough. I wonder what will happen to the other establishments when this park will become a little Makati, wait Cebu Business Park is the little Makati of Cebu. How about a little Ortigas? Nah, I’m not really familiar with the cities in Manila. But still, I can only imagine having to take a cab ride if I were to eat lunch when it’s just a few blocks away. Or probably walking in an underpass to grab a drink or ride a jeepney which will take forever because of the traffic that would be occurring even if the place could be walked within 3 minutes. There will be a lot of buildings that will be constructed and people can just transfer from building to building whenever they get fired because they’re not valuing their job as much as they need to. They’re taking advantage of the situation that we are in demand and getting an above average salary is as easy as signing up for a referral bonus.

Oh well, the business process outsourcing industry is really booming especially in third world countries that have a good background in the English language. But people shouldn’t really take things for granted. I know of some who have gone abroad, let’s say Singapore, in order to find greener pastures; only to be turned down by prospect employers because of our Nationality since these companies are prioritizing in hiring individuals within their own country. This makes it pretty sad in this day and age of globalization wherein barriers and limitations are supposed to be torn down. They do not hire people because of the lack of skills but because of your race which is also understandable because of the ever-obvious recession being the hot topic in this season and the seasons to come.

“You’re nationality is NOT an ASSET” according to my friend when she did try her luck, if only for a few weeks, in the Lion City. Job seekers dress professionally and wait patiently in every opening whereas here in the Philippines, most of the time people don’t even have to put their best foot forward just to get hired. So long as you can talk and understand and converse in basic English, then you can be trained to work in how many contact centers abound; even if you’re an undergraduate. I am a testament to that fact.

I hope more and more people will take care of their jobs even if we don’t get to appreciate the benefits that receive. We may complain a lot of the cons of our work and other responsibilities; sure, it does and it will take a toll on our health but we are being compensated for staying up all night. How we balance our work with our life is what we need to focus on; being able to take time to relax and not think about working all the time. Heck, if I weren’t in this nocturnal industry, I’d probably be working in a restaurant or a fast food chain, given the limited qualifications that I have. It wouldn’t be enough to suffice the daily needs as well as my contributions to my family. I wish for everybody to have this sense of enlightenment and not think of privileges as rights.

Free writing and what it can do, haha. I was only planning to blog about the picture and I didn’t think that I’d be talking about jobs and careers and trends. hehe. Now I better get back to my meal.