On a press conference held in Malacanang, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano revealed that contrary to what many presume, it wasn’t President Rodrigo Duterte who wants to remove the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and call center industry in the country, it is US President Barack Obama.
“Ang daming nagte-text sa akin, paano, sir, ‘yung mga BPO, call center? Ang gustong magpatanggal ng call center at BPO sa Pilipinas is not Duterte,” Cayetano explained.
Cayetano said the President is working on giving call center agents who go home late and are usually victims of crime a better working environment.
He further revealed that it had always been the US, American politicians and even President Barack Obama who wants the call center agencies of US based on foreign countries to go back to US saying Americans are losing jobs to other nations.
“It is actually the American politicians including President Obama who wanted to remove call centers. Take a look at the debates and the speeches of President Obama in 2008 and 2012. He was saying the other nations are getting our jobs. Dapat ibalik na dito. Jobs that should belong to us are now overseas. Simple jobs of working at home and using the phone and Internet are now overseas,” says Cayetano.
However, considering the lower expenses on salaries, American businessmen choose to bring the BPO and call canter companies out of the country, according to Cayetano.
“Ang negosyante nila ang gusto dito. Bakit? Magkano na ba ang minimum wage sa US ngayon? It’s between 10 to 15 dollars an hour. So that’s about 500 to 750 pesos an hour. Which is what? Our daily wage already. So ikaw mamili, if you’re gonna work eight hours, they pay eight times more plus benefits and work in the US or ibigay mo sa Pilipinas?” he added.
Furthermore, Cayetano said people shouldn’t be confused with regards to the President’s “unsettling statements”, emphasizing that the issue on call centers and BPOs are not diplomatic deals but business deals.
Senator Panfilo Lacson earlier said millions of Filipino call center agents are on the verge of losing their jobs due to the President’s statements in regards separating with US and establishing a new independent foreign policy.
“When there’s a ruckus and there’s unsettling statements even coming from our President, let’s not throw red herrings. Huwag nating lituhin ang tao na para bang magsasara ang mga call center kapagka may problema sa relationship sa US because it’s purely a business deal, it’s not a diplomatic deal. And they want to be here. They love being here and we love them being here and we are taking good care of them.”
Source: TNP, DefinitelyFilipino
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