Iloilo City – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today hailed and thanked Teletech, a foreign business processing and outsourcing (BPO) company for expanding its operations in the Philippines and helping provide more good paying jobs for Filipinos.
The President briefly visited Iloilo City today, Tuesday, and led the ribbon-cutting and marker unveiling rites for Teletech’s 8,083 square-meter call center facility here that includes its state-of-the-art communication and related equipments. .
Maulik Farekh, Teletech executive vice president and general manager for Asia relayed the good news to President Arroyo about their need for some 2,000 employees to increase their current 23,000 workers to 25,000 before end of this year.
“We are actively looking for 125 employees here in Iloilo for March alone. Madam President, I’m very proud to report that with over 23,000 employees in 12 locations in the country, Teletech goal now is to hit our goal of 25,000 employees by the end of 2009,” Farekh told the President.
The company’s call center at the third floor of SM City here, is its fourth in the Visayas and its 12th in the country.
Farekh, in his welcome remarks, said the President’s visit to their Iloilo BPO center is her eighth in as many of Teletech’s 12 call centers in the country in three last three years, “a clear testament” to her strong support for the BPO industry nationwide.
“And this is a testament of commitment, not only to Teletech but to the Filipino people, and we sincerely thank you for that,” Farekh said, adding that since they open their Iloilo call center in January 2008, they now have 1,600 employees here.
Farekh also thanked Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Trenas for his support to their operations in the city.
Iloilo Governor Niel Tupaz, Mayor Trenas, Rep. Raul Gonzales Jr., Presidential Assistant for Region 6 Raul Banias and the top officials of Teletech headed Farekh and Teletech Iloilo site manager Nicki Agcaoili welcomed President Arroyo upon her arrival here this morning.
Aside from touring the Teletech facility, the President also interacted with Sharon Acosta, a former overseas worker in Brunei, Jeol Calle, and Augustine “Gus” Escalona and listened to their inspiring stories and how they changed and improved their lives after employment with Teletech.
The President’s party included Trade Secretary Peter Favila, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque, and Justice Secretary and Cabinet Officer for Regional Development (CORD) 6 Raul Gonzales.
BPOs remain upbeat on RP, Teletech opens delivery center in Iloilo
The Philippines’ sunshine industry hasn’t faded.
Business processing outsourcing insiders, such as Jon Kaplan of TeleDevelopment Services (TDS), are seeing more room for growth notwithstanding global recession.
In a recent interview with Money Matters, Kaplan said training people to get the necessary skills will help the industry survive.
A survey conducted by BPAP and Outsource2Philippines has shown that 70 percent of BPO executives believe that the global financial crisis will have either a neutral or even positive impact on their Philippine operations this year.
Last month, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to work closely with the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) in providing employment to displaced workers such as those from the electronics sector in CALABARZON.
Meanwhile, the country’s biggest foreign BPO employer has inaugurated another facility in Iloilo City with the President as guest of honor.
Located at a popular mall, the state-of-the-art TELETECH delivery center has 760 production seats and more than 1,600 employees.
Teletech country head Maulik Parekh Parekh expressed confidence that the local government would support the growth the company is looking forward to in the coming years.
The company has more than 22,000 employees nationwide who are assigned in various TELETECH facilities in Fort Bonifacio , Makati City ; Pasay , Novaliches, Quezon City ; Cainta, Rizal; Dumeguete, Bacolod , Lipa, Cebu , Bacoor, Cavite ; Iloilo , Pampanga and Sta. Rosa City ,Laguna.
Last January, US-based Star Tek opened its first branch in Makati with 400 customer care representatives.
Star Tek honchos cited flexible workforce that is “very well-educated, English-speaking and great at customer service” and reliable technical infrastructure as prime reasons for choosing the Philippines as site for its first overseas operation. #
Mga BPO, positibo ang pananaw sa Pilipinas, Teletech nagbukas ng bagong delivery center sa Iloilo
Nagniningning pa rin ang Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), ang sunshine industry ng Pilipinas.
Naniniwala ang mga BPO insider, gaya ni Jon Kaplan ng TeleDevelopment Services (TDS), na marami pang pagkakataon para lumago ang industriya kahit pa may nagaganap na global recession.
Sa isang panayam ng Money Matters, sinabi ni Kaplan na makakatulong sa pagpapasigla sa industriya ang patuloy na pagsasanay sa mga tao para makuha ang mga kinakailangan skills sa trabaho.
Si Kaplan ang nagtatatag ng TDS, isang kumpanya na nagpapakadalubhasa sa pagpapaunlad ng human resources.
Lumitaw sa isang survey na isinagawa ng BPAP at Outsource2Philippines na may 70 porsiyento ng mga BPO executive ang naniniwalang neutral o kaya ay positibo ang epekto ng global recession sa kanilang operasyon sa Pilipinas.
Noong nakaraang buwan, inatasan ng Pangulong Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ang Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) na makipagtulungan sa sa Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) sa pagbibigay ng mga trabaho lalo sa mga nawalan ng trabaho tulad ng mga manggagawa sa sektor ng electronics at semi-conductors sa CALABARZON.
Samantala, pinasinayaan naman ng TELETECH ang bago nilang pasilidad sa Iloilo City kung saan panauhing pandangal ang Pangulong Arroyo.
Nakapuwesto sa isang sikat na mall, ang hi-tek na Teletech delivery center ay may 760 production seats at mahigit sa 1,600 na empleyado.
Nagpahayag ng kumpiyansa si Teletech country head Maulik Parekh Parekh na susuportahan ng lokal na pamahalaan ang nakikita nilang paglago ng kanilang operasyon sa hinaharap.
Mahigit sa 22,000 ang bilang ng mga empleyado ng TELETECH sa buong bansa kaya ito ang tinaguriang pinakamalaking dayuhang employer sa BPO industry.
Ang mga manggagawang ito ay matatagpuan sa iba’t ibang pasilidad ng TELETECH sa Fort Bonifacio, Makati City; Pasay, Novaliches, Quezon City; Cainta, Rizal; Dumeguete, Bacolod, Lipa, Cebu, Bacoor, Cavite; Iloilo, Pampanga at Sta. Rosa City, Laguna.
Noong Enero, binuksan ng Star Tek , isa pang kumpanyang nakabase sa Estados Unidos, ang kanilang kauna-unahang sangay sa Makati na mayroong 400 na customer care representatives.
Ang pagkakaroon ngisang flexible workforce “edukado, bihasa sa Ingles at mahusay sa customer service” at ng isang masasandalang technical infrastructure bilang mga pangunahing dahilan kung bakit pinili ng Star Tek sa Pilipinas itayo ang kanilang kauna-unahang operasyon sa labas ng kanilang bansa. #
DOLE bats for online job interviews
The Department of Labor and Employment is pushing for jobs interviews via the internet.
Labor Secretary Marianito Roque proposed at the recent multi-sectoral job summit in Malacanang the adoption of internet technology to reduce cost of job hunting for the unemployed.
Roque said internet facilities, which can be set up in DOLE regional offices, will bridge the distance between applicants and their prospective employers who are based abroad.
TESDA reported Filipinos are preferred workers in Canada, Australia and in the Middle East in sectors of health care and construction.
Online job interview, inimungkahi ng DOLE
Isinusulong ng Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) ang paggamit ng internet para sa mga job interview.
Inimungkahi ni Labor Secretary Marianito Roque kamakailan sa isang multi-sectoral job summit sa Malacanang ang paggamit ng internet technology para bawasan ang mga gastusin sa pag-aaplay ng trabaho.
Sinabi ni Roque na makakatulong ang mga internet facility para makunekta ang mga aplikante sa mga employer sa ibayong dagat.
Ani Roque, pwedeng ilagak sa mga tanggapan ng DOLE ang pasilidad para madaling maabot ng mga aplikante.
Iniulat ng TESDA na paboritong manggagawa ang mga Pilipino sa mga sektor ng health care at konstraksyon.
Ilan sa mga trabahong ito ay matatagpuan sa Canada, Australya at Gitnang Silangan.
Massive job recruitment at DPWH, PNP and AFP
Districts engineering offices, police stations and military camps are opening their doors to the unemployed.
The Department of Public Works and Highways are in need of engineers, carpenters and plumbers who are on the look out for temporary jobs for the 1,260 projects nationwide.
DPWH continues to call for applicants because the recent job fair in its offices netted only 2,000.
Likewise, the police and the Armed Forces are looking for warm bodies.
The Philippine National Police recruitment is part of the executive directive to recruit 15,000 police officer Is (POIs) in five years which started in 2006.
These new bloods, totaling 7,000, will replace the retiring, dead and dismissed police officers in the last semester of 2008 and for the first semester of 2009.
Applicants will go through series of examinations and training.
Those who passed will have the year-long Field Training Program (FTP) at the Police National Training Institute.
And for those considering military careers, the Armed Forces of the Philippines has 6,7000 slots which will be divided among the Army, the Airforce, the Navy and the technical services.
Applicants should be 18 to 23 year olds, physically fit and have obtained at least 72 college units.
And just like their counterparts in the police, applicants must pass examinations and trainings. #
DPWH, PNP at AFP, bukas sa mga naghahanap ng trabaho
Handang tanggapin ng mga district engineering office, himpilan ng pulisya at mga kampo-militar ang mga naghahanap ng trabaho.
Naghahahanap ang Department of Public Works and Highways ng mga inhinyero, karpintero at tubero na para sa mga pansamantalang trabahong na kinakailangan sa may 1,260 na proyekto sa buong bansa.
Patuloy ang panawagan ng kagawaran para sa mga aplikante makaraang 2,000 pa lang ang nakapasa sa nakaraang job fair sa iba’t iba nitong tanggapan.
Tulad ng DPWH, naghahanap din ng mga bagong dugo ang pulisya at sandatahang lakas.
Ang recruitment ng Philippine National Police ay bahagi ng isang direktiba para makapangalap ng may 15,000 police officer Is (POIs) sa loob ng limang taon na nagsimula noong 2006.
Ang mga bagong recruit, aabot sa 7,000, ang papalit sa mga nag-reretiro, patay at nadismis na pulis noong second semester ng 2008 at sa unang semester ng 2009.
Lahat ng aplikante ay daraan sa serye ng mga pagsusulit at dibdibang pagsasanay. Ang mga papasa ay sasailalim sa isang taong Field Training Program (FTP) sa Police National Training Institute.
At para naman sa mga gustong maging sundalo, ang Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas ay may 6,7000 posisyon na paghahatian ng Army, Airforce, Navy at ng technical services.
Ang mga aplikante ay kailangang nagkakaedad sa pagitan ng 18 hanggang 23 taon, malusog ang pangangatawan at nakakumpleto ng 72 yunit sa kolehiyo.
Gaya ng mga trainee sa pulisya, dapat maipasa ng mga aplikante ang mga ibibigay na pagsusulit at pagsasanay.
Shangri-la investments in Boracay lauded
Malacanang hailed Shangri-la Hotel’s venture in Boracay Island as a big boost to the country’s job generation activities.
Presidential Assistant for Western Visayas Raul Banias said the presence of Shangri-la on the island has not only reinforced Boracay’s place in the tourism industry but opens livelihood opportunities for locals.
And best of all, Shangri-la will be contributing to the revenues of the local government.
The President and her cabinet are having a meeting at Boracay to discuss the latest from Super Regions program and other urgent issues. #
Pamumuhunan ng Shangri-la Hotel sa Boracay, pinapurihan
Isang malaking tulong sa kampanya para dumami ang trabaho sa bansa ang pamumuhunan ng Shangri-la Hotel sa isla ng Boracay.
Ayon kay Presidential Assistant for Western Visayas Raul Banias, hindi lamang pinagtibay ng Shangri-la ang posisyon ng Boracay sa industriya ng turismo kundi nagbubukas pa ito ng panibagong oportunidad sa kabuhayan para sa mga residente ng isla.
Higit sa lahat, ani Banias, makakatulong pa ang Shangri-la sa pagpapalago ng kita ng lokal ng pamahalaan.
Ang Pangulo at ang kanyang gabinete ay nagpupulong sa Boracay para pag-usapan ang pinakahuling pangyayari sa Super Regions program at iba pang isyu. #
Palace pleased with approval of poll automation budget
Malacanang expressed elation today over the passage in the Lower House of the long-pending poll-automation budget, saying automated balloting is one of the priority projects of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
In a radio interview this morning (Tuesday, March 3), Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said, “Kami (the Palace) ay natutuwa na na-i-pass iyan (poll automation) kagabi (Monday, March 2) ng third and final reading sa Kongreso.”
“If you recall, nanawagan nga tayo noong weekend na ini-remind na natin iyong mga supporters ni Pangulo sa Kongreso na itong full automation ay isa talaga sa mga priority projects ng Pangulo.
“Kaya po tayo natutuwa na na-pass ‘yan… sa House, at sana po, talagang tuloy-tuloy na iyan para isang magandang legacy iyan na mai-iwan ng ating mga current leaders para sa next generation na magkaroon na tayo ng more efficient administration of elections,” Remonde said.
The Press Secretary also said ‘yes’ when asked if a special session will be called to ensure the approval of the supplemental budget for the automated polls before the Lenten break.
Meanwhile, Deputy Spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said that the “approval of the poll automation budget on final reading is a victory for Filipino voters who deserve clean, honest, orderly and peaceful elections that deliver fast and decisive results.”
“This is a legacy the (Macapagal-Arroyo) administration is proud to share with all Filipinos,” she added.
Peso still strong vs. US$ compared to other Asian currencies
Manila (PNA) - The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Tuesday said that although the Philippine peso continues to weaken against the US dollar, its performance is still good among other Asian units.
BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. told reporters that risk aversion among investors is still high as a result of the ongoing global economic and financial crisis.
On Monday, the local unit closed at P49.05, its lowest so far this year.
Tetangco said that despite this development, ``the movement of the peso continues to be in line with the movement of other currencies in the region.``
``If you look at the relative movements and depreciation of currencies so far this year, 2009, the (peso is the) least depreciated among regional currencies,` ` he added.
The unit was the region’s best in 2007 after it appreciated by nearly 19 percent but suffered a drawback last year as a result of the global economic turmoil.
Monetary officials and analysts said this is understandable due to the global financial and economic crunch.
The government projects the local unit to average between P45-P48 against the dollar this year.
PGMA leads consultations with Region 12 peace stakeholders
General Santos City (PND) - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo interacted today with the stakeholders in the Mindanao peace process as part of her commitment to get the stalled peace talks back on track.
Region 12 is composed of the provinces of North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Sarangani.
The President’s new paradigm for peace includes interfaith dialogue, authentic consultations with the communities affected by the conflict and the principles of disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) of the armed rebel groups.
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Avelino Razon Jr. said the holding of authentic dialogues with the communities will be a ``continuing effort`` by the government to obtain the needed inputs for the resumption of the peace negotiations.
``There will be six more consultations/ dialogues with the stakeholders. The 13th will be held in Bukidnon,`` Razon said.
Dialogues were already conducted in Koronadal City in January and in Kidapawan City in February.
Local government officials said that the holding of authentic dialogues with the stakeholders was in keeping with the government’s policy of transparency in the peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
General Santos City Mayor Pedro Acharon Jr. and Sultan Kudarat Gov. Suharto Mangudadatu were one in saying that the involvement of the communities in the dialogues showed the ``sincerity` ` of the Arroyo administration in trying to put an end to the decades-old Mindanao conflict.
``It is better now, more transparent… and we would like to thank the President for giving priority to the peace process. She is very hands-on in the consultations and this is appreciated by all sectors. By being hands-on, we feel that she is really determined to resolve the issues in Mindanao,`` Acharon said.
Government panel chair Ambassador Rafael Seguis presented the three Rs, the ``main essence of the consultations today``, with the officials of the regions.
Seguis said the 3Rs process -- renegotiate, reaffirm commitment, and review and improve the facilitation, are the ``way forward to resume talks.``
The region’s officials agreed with Seguis.
The peace talks with the MILF bogged down last August when rogue MILF elements led by three recalcitrant commanders mounted separate attacks on civilian populations in North Cotabato, Sarangani and Lanao del Norte to protest the aborted signing of the controversial Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD).
Thousands of evacuees have been displaced in the fighting.
