Resiliency Beyond BPO Borders

It’s been a little over a month since tropical storm Ketsana devastated most of northern Philippine provinces, but a lot has transpired since then. We can’t say we’re fully recovered, but we can proudly say that we are indeed moving on. The last month has been tedious and messy for the most part, with people getting out of their way to help those still stuck in flooded towns, and charity programs still going on as if every day was Christmas day. But the Filipinos’ resiliency has gone beyond getting back on their feet after a disastrous storm came raging unto us.

In fact, the last few weeks have been quite eventful for the Filipino people, with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visiting the Philippines to advocate peace talks between the Philippine government and separatist group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). During her town hall meeting last Friday, hundreds of students from various universities and colleges around Metro Manila gathered for what might be a once in a lifetime opportunity—to witness Secretary Clinton share her message of peace and unity through these trying times. With the youth comprising a large part of the Philippine population, she saw it imperative that they engage themselves in current events and be aware of the political and social issues going on.  Secretary Clinton encouraged the youth to use social networking tools in raising awareness and campaigning causes that would propel change for the better.

“We want to see governments held more accountable to their own people. There should be more transparency, more accountability… And I think the new technology provides for that,” she pointed out during her speech. “We’re trying to take the tools of the 20th century and apply them in 21st century diplomacy.”

For the most part, now is the time for the youth to be engaged in social and political issues, as the presidential elections are only six months away. With the invaluable contribution of technology, the youth can now take part in the global revolution and be educated not only academically but also socially and politically. These social networking tools have made communication so much easier, with information disseminated as fast as a blink of an eye. This is a huge opportunity for the youth of tomorrow, as the technological infrastructure is slowly but surely growing to be a steadfast foundation for national economic growth.

Today, technology is the heart of the industry in which business process outsourcing (BPO) companies are continuing to thrive in the forefront of the Philippine economy. Recently, one of the nation’s biggest conglomerates acquired a US-based research and decision support company. Ayala’s BPO arm, LiveIt Investments, Ltd. in cooperation with also Ayala-owned KPO unit Integreon Managed Solutions Inc., bought Grail Research with the objective to further take part of the BPO and KPO revolution in the Philippines—a goal that isn’t as simple as it seems. In fact, LiveIt CEO Alfredo I. Ayala has great ambitions for this new acquisition.

“The logic of this combination is not just to become the top five biggest [players] in the world but also [to be] the strongest,” he told Business World. “The acquisition strengthens Integreon and puts it in the top three [companies] in the legal, research and analytical space. The deal has also made Integreon the largest integrated BPO company.”

With these acquisitions comes the creation of more jobs locally, hopefully enough to tip the scale to favour the Philippine economy. The future does seem bright for the Filipino youth, the same informed individuals who will wisely choose a leader come May 2010 and eventually be part of the evolving BPO and knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) industry. To further drive the point, the Filipino people might actually see the day when working overseas will merely become an option and not the only choice.

As for those individuals who are ready to retire and/or start growing their own business, now is the time to make a move. Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) is already looking to further their small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) lending business by opening more lending centers around Metro Manila and the nearby provinces. Opening one’s own business will not remain a dream as the bank is also looking to expand its microfinance operations to Luzon and the Visayas.

While cynics can go and blast this article by saying that corruption is still rampant and most provinces are still knee deep in the flood, I for one would like to believe that there is a future in store for the Filipino and that it will be bright if we will it to be. It doesn’t matter if we’re going slowly but surely, all that matters is that we are going. Malcolm Gladwell taught us that there are opportunities that come to us and it ultimately boils down to what we want to do about it. Today’s Filipino is a warrior—a hero, if you may. We are resilient, we are enduring. Most of all, we beat the odds and go beyond borders. Let’s grow ourselves a sense of pride and be proud of our achievements, individual or otherwise. Manny Pacquiao went where no other has been before—he just won his seventh division title. Now who says the Filipino can’t go further and exceed expectations?