Paul Young asked:


Growing at 46% annually since 2004, the US$6.8 billion Philippines’ offshore market today employs over 450,000 people, mostly for voice-based services. The Everest study, The Silent Knight: The Philippines’ Emerging Non-Voice BPO Capability, which includes contributions from the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP), shows that the Philippines is now poised to emerge as an important destination for non-voice offshore BPO work for buyers looking beyond India to grow their offshoring footprint. It is noteworthy here that by 2012, the offshore BPO market will have an addressable opportunity of $220-280 billion, and as much as 90 percent of this addressable market opportunity will be in non-voice BPO services.

The Everest Research Institute study shows that while the scale of work is currently low, a number of providers are already leveraging the Philippines for a vast scope of non-voice functions. However, there remains limited awareness of the Philippines’ real capability in non-voice services, which has grown significantly over the past three years.

Says Nikhil Rajpal, Principal, Everest Group, “Success in voice-based BPO services has positioned the Philippines as the second largest low-cost BPO destination after India, and both countries combined account for 50 percent of the offshore BPO market in revenue terms. In non-voice BPO, most current activity and scale in the Philippines is concentrated on transactional services. Whereas almost all types of non-voice BPO functions are now being delivered from the Philippines, their maturity varies, so while we see relatively high activity and maturity in Finance & Accounting and transcription services, there has been only some activity recently in HRO, with even lesser in Procurement Services. Further, while there has been an increased traction in judgment-intensive knowledge services such as research, analytics and legal services, the scale and maturity remains low.”

The Filipino government is focused on development of the non-voice BPO industry, providing incentive programs to attract investors as well as providing grants and infrastructure developments.

Says Jimit Arora, Research Director, Everest Research Institute, “A number of factors are favoring the growth of non-voice BPO in the Philippines. These include acceptance as a key destination for customer service and support; competitive costs; sizable pool of English speaking talent; and a starting base of captives and suppliers. There is strong cultural similarity between the Philippines and the United States, making it easier for Filipino agents to relate toU.S. customers.”

“In terms of operating cost per employee for transactional back-office work, the Philippines offers about 75% and 70% respective savings over tier-II cities in UK and US, which is somewhat lesser savings as compared to India, but sizably more than other offshoring destinations like Monterrey (Mexico) and Prague (Czech Republic). Again, in terms of graduates per annum, at 480, 000, Philippines lags behind India’s 30, 00, 000, but is much ahead of Egypt, Argentina, South Africa and Mexico”, adds Jimit.

However, according to Nikhil, managing talent-related constraints will be critical to ensure operational success in the Philippines. He says, “Philippines will need to address four key talent-related challenges – scalability of entry-level talent; availability of specialized skills; availability and quality of managers; and migration of skilled talent.” Challenges regarding shortage of entry-level talent exist in India as well as the Philippines. According to the NASSCOM-Everest study, “Roadmap 2012 – Capitalizing on the Expanding BPO Landscape”, released last year, while the number of people required to support impending growth of BPO in India are available, unless the current focus on “ready-to-eat” talent is altered, the future growth may lead to a shortage of approximately one million entry-level graduates by 2012. However, availability of specialized skills, access to quality management talent, and talent migration are challenges that are much more pronounced in thePhilippines as compared to India.

Concludes Nikhil, “Given the nascent stage of the Philippines’ non-voice BPO market and prevailing talent-related challenges, the Philippines is unlikely to replace India as the leading non-voice BPO delivery location.” However, the Philippines can still serve as an important satellite delivery location for such services, and it is time the world starts taking note of its non-voice BPO delivery capabilities, he adds.

A. Hathaway asked:


What to know when considering a Philippine Bride

The Philippines is a poor country and has a reputation for relationship fraud. Of course there are plenty of good, beautiful and honest women seeking marriage with foreigners. There is also an active population of scammers, fraud schemes and old fashioned gold diggers. Some women seek financial gain and lifestyle upgrades, an escape from poverty. Others are actually seeking a loving relationship, marriage and something new and exciting. How to tell this difference is the key question.

If she asks for money, put the brakes on. Beware of family or medical “emergencies” where the woman needs cash and financial support fast. Know that sending money via Western Union is likely lost in the event that she’s a scammer. Understand that the scammers are professional criminals and are very difficult to distinguish between an honest and trustworthy woman.

Educated yourself by reading about scam and fraud methods. Knowing about the different scams will help you recognize any foul play. The schemes and fraud efforts vary in strategy, but all have one thing in common, money. Money is usually requested in the form of advance fee fraud, where the criminal needs help with school, medical, rent, family, visa, etc. You can read more about the fraud types at Wikipedia’s site for relationship fraud and advance fee fraud. This is a major step in prevention.

Once you understand the fraud types and warnings signs, consider a trip to the Philippines. Get to know her and her country. See for yourself who you’re dealing with. This is a key step in not only preventing fraud, but also in establishing a meaningful relationship. Take time to get to know her. A Philippine woman in a hurry to marry is a major red flag.

Lastly, if all checks out, get a professional background check by a firm with a local presence in Manila and Cebu. Wymoo offers confidential investigations and has years of experience dealing with potential brides and relationships in the Philippines.

Best of luck, and do your homework!

A. Hathaway

Onofre Poonin asked:


Retired Army General and Mrs. Doe were operating their own security agency in Metro Manila for over a year with its manpower of 700 field personnel who served about 50 security clients. It ran so well that the old spouses were able to live an extravagant life until they met a doom they had never expected.

One morning of  Tuesday at their agency office, the HRD Manager was interviewing an applicant  SG John Doe, about 30 years old, 5′7 in height, well-built and clean-cut. The interview includes submission of necessary papers, such as NBI and PNP clearances, Neuropsychiatric and Drug Tests, Training and License Certificates and other pre-employment requirements. Having been found qualified for the job, with his documents verified complete and in order; he was eventually hired as Security guard and was temporarily deployed in an on-going construction site.

SG Doe was given a 12-hour tour of duty which started at 6:00pm, and as far as his duty was concerned, his guarding night ordinarily passed without any problem. He was supposed to be relieved at 6:00am the following morning but unfortunately, the next guard who was supposed to relieve him was not able to report for duty for an unknown reason. As it was an emergency absence, the Security In-charge could not be able to look for a replacement and further asked SG Doe to extend his tour of duty for another 8-hour -which he did not contest.

His duty extension went on smoothly as if  he were enjoying his new job, not until pass 1:00pm when he got a text message from unknown sender, informing him that his wife was caught by their son having *** with another man. He immediately asked his In-charge for an emergency replacement so he could check on it but the former failed to provide his reliever. And so he was forced to stay on with a heavy heart.

SG Doe was seemingly agitated by the information he received through text message and at around 3:00pm, he suddenly grabbed his 12.gauge shot gun and ran towards the next post and – without provocation, shot dead his co-guard who was on-duty at the administrative entrance.  Thereafter, he rushed towards the Reception area and fired to death at the lone visitor who was seated near the reception table. As if he were not contented, he again ran towards the construction area where workers scampered for cover, but one of them was hit by another bullet and laid dead. Ironically, when the police arrived SG Doe did not resist the arrest and voluntarily turned over his firearm and went calmly with the arresting officers.

For the next few days, the incident had formed part of the newspapers headlines – in the Radio/TV news and other tabloids. “I was not in my normal mind when I did it. I was probably in total delusion at that time because I’ve been on duty for three consecutive days without eating”, so he claimed. The news and media interviews immediately caught the attention of all existing security clients and at no time, these clients gradually terminated their contracts with the agency and looked for new security service providers. The security agency was forced to engage into amicable settlement with the aggrieved parties. It paid almost a million for the lives of the three innocent victims. It became the subject of investigation of the local authorities, and the worse, the pull-out of security guards from their original deployment due to the clients’ termination of contract suddenly sent the agency into total bankruptcy.

What is the moral lesson in this story?

Never hire an irresponsible security In-charge who could not act in dispatch in an emergency situation. Double-check the mental records of the applicant and if necessary, personally check with the Neuropsychiatries and Drug Testing Center where he got the clearances. Do background check on new applicants and do assess his previous employment records. To SG John Doe, never tell a lie to the media. To the wife, don’t let your son catch you To the agency, better luck next time..

 

Ruel Hinaloc asked:


Explore Paradise Philippines. Take a peek at Filipino’s culture and history as mirrored in century-old churches, ancient forts and modern museums. Paradise Philippines have the top of nature’s paradise pictured thru white-sand beaches and three-layered virgin forests.

Paradise Philippines is blessed with an extensive coastline, ringed with unspoiled beaches and first-class resort facilities. Paradise Philippines’ deep-blue, crystal-clear waters offers about 40,000 square kilometers of coastal reefs teeming with a variety of marine life.

Top Philippine Destination and Paradise Spots

Paradise Philippines is endowed amid a tropical climate offering perfect paradise treat to enjoy the sunlight. Lying in Southeast Asia and surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Paradise Philippines boasts of unsullied beaches, spectacular sunsets, luxuriant pastoral lands, cool mountain weather, brilliant man-made paradise resorts, and dazzling 7,000+ islands.

Paradise Philippines boasts of one or two of the best beaches and scuba diving waters in the world. Witness the vast expanse of nature’s paradise Philippines’ splendor underneath the spell of cool paradise Philippines mountain breeze.

Here are some featured destinations and paradise regions that is living proof of Paradise Philippines reputation of being referred to as Paradise Philippines.

Alona Beach, Paradise Philippines

Panglao Island, Bohol (May 6, 2007) – The Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano has inaugurated the first age of a P600-million upscale resort complex that is riding on the tourism boom in this province. Durano said, referring to the 16-hectare Eskaya Beach Resort & Spa, which is making 70 luxurious villas catering to the rich Filipino tourists and visitors from Europe, the United States, Australia, Japan and Korea.

Donsol, Whale Shark Capital, Paradise Philippines

Once a sleepy coastal village located at the northwestern tip of Sorsogon province, this town now eyes to be a first-class municipality, thanks to giant sea creatures that are now attracting hordes of foreign and local tourists who infuse millions of pesos to the local economy.

Boracay Paradise, Paradise Philippines

Widely known as one of the best swimming destinations in the world, Boracay is blessed with unsullied fine talcum powder-sand beaches. Its tranquil crystal simple waters are best for swimming, sailing, fishing and sunbathing. Boracay in addition boasts of sapphire seas and spectacular sunsets. Countless hidden coves dot the island and tall coconut trees line up along the beaches. Boracay lies at the northwest tip of Panay, in the west Visayas region, off the Sibuyan Sea.

Captivating Guimaras, Paradise Philippines

Nueva Valencia, Guimaras – An Italian couple on a two-month holiday in the Philippines chose to include the present paradise in this itinerary and stayed at the Raymen Beach Resort in December 2006, unperturbed by to know about the oil spill that brought the island province to world attention in August of the same year. “We are just here to see good beaches,” said the Boldo couple, who are just among the hundreds of intercontinental guests who kept coming to Guimaras even in the aftermath of the infamous oil spill.

Wonderful Palawan, Paradise Philippines

The exotic beauty of Palawan remains undefiled. Branded as the country’s survive frontier, Palawan is a sanctuary to an amazing variety of exotic flora and fauna which are found nowhere else. With more as opposed to a thousand islands and islets, Palawan boasts of white-sand beaches, scenic rock formations, underwater rivers and magnificent caves. Palawan is additionally structure to Tubbataha Reef, the only nationwide marine park that made it to the World Heritage List and whose grandeur is comparable to the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.

Banaue Rice Terraces, Paradise Philippines

Traversing the rugged terrains of Cordillera highlands in a duration of one week is an adventure in itself and could be an immense learning experience for someone who has the guts to be on the look down to the depths of mountain cliffs to get a good view of the rice terraces. With tall rice terraces at the backdrop and cool breeze shuttling between mountain peaks, a journey across the Cordillera heap ranges exposes one to an atmosphere strangely different from the daily offering of Manila and its suburbs.

Amazing Coron, Paradise Philippines

Coron, a town in the Busuanga Island in Northern Palawan, can charm much the most insensitive amongst men. Its natural beauty can only be described as seductive, giving first-time visitors and repeaters alike a sense of wonder so is hard to shake off.

Cebu City, Paradise Philippines

Cebu City drew 403,326 worldwide visitors in 2005, making the “queen city of the south” the top provincial destination of worldwide travelers. Data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) also showed such a Cebu City attracted 1,813 distant Filipinos and 712,938 domestic travelers.

Pagudpud, Paradise Philippines

If Aklan has Boracay, Ilocos has Pagudpud, its northernmost town bordering the South China Sea. The coastal town of Pagudpud is the perfect setting for panoramic movies and photoshoot for travel magazines cover. The town’s main attractions are Saud Beach, famous for its fine white sand stretching for hundreds of meters and Maira-Ira Point, which hides a secluded beach called Blue Lagoon. Other breathtaking landscapes in Pagudpud include Bantay Abot-abot, a natural sculpture carved by the wind and sea, the Mabogabog Falls and the Patapat viaduct that treats motorists to a scenic view of red lushes and green waters of South China Sea.

Bohol, Paradise Philippines

Bohol is one of the loveliest islands in southern Philippines. It is situated at the heart of Visayas and with coastline skimmed by gentle coves and white-sand beaches. Many highways snake along sparkling beaches or leafy rivers where one can stop at any point and jump in. With its rolling hills and plateaus, crystal springs and beaches, the province of Bohol is a picturesque province replete amidst ancestral structures and centuries-old churches.

Bercle George asked:


The Philippines is made up of 7,107 islands. The Philippines is the second largest archipelago in the world, after Indonesia, and enjoys a healthy tropical climate. There are many islands located in the Philippines, and one of them is the Boracay, which covers three kilometers of white beach.

The charm and beauty of the Philippines has always mesmerized travelers and vacationers. The Philippines also boasts as one of the top three best diving destinations as well aside from Palau and the Maldives.

Palawan has natural gas fields on the northeastern part of the island but the beautiful beaches around the island are still maintained. There are so many types of places to visit in the Philippines that it’s hard to enumerate each and every one of them. A luxury resort will, however, normally be characterized by a high level of luxury, sophistication and, of course, price.

Famous Destinations in the Philippines:

-Manila, Cebu and Boracay are the ground zero for parties – pool parties, yacht parties, rave and fashion events.

-Everyone head for the nearest beach so if you don’t want to feel crowded when you’re sunbathing, set your travel date for another time of the year.

-Bohol is also blessed with a numerous white sand beaches, and Panglao Island is one of the famous destinations, having powdery sand.

Foods:

-Filipino dishes very frequently include coconut, and, hence, meat, and other vegetables are cooked using coconut milk.

-Rice is served with almost all meals, as it is their staple food. Countryside folks eat their main meal at noon, while city inhabitants place emphasize on the evening meal.

- Apart from fish, the Filipinos also like other seafood such as crabs, shellfish, and shrimps.

-The Filipinos consider food to be the most important aspect of their culture since it is an integral part of their communal existence.

Events:

-Xmas Eve is the time when you can raise toasts and drinks to celebrate this festival.

-Surfing in the Philippines is comparable to the best in the world – with the world-famous cloud 9s off the island of Siargao facing the Philippine Trench in the Western Pacific as well as the surfing destinations of La Union and Zambales (facing South China Sea).

-The beauty pageant Miss Earth is the 4th largest beauty competition in the world and it is held in the Philippines every year.

Shopping:

If you would like to find Philippine items that you miss, start shopping online now. Shopping is one of the things tourists love about the Philippines. This will give you a large selection of sites that offer the products you desire.

Business Local Listings asked:


Web Dot Com Website Development Philippines, Inc. is the official web site developer of Amnesty International Philippines.

Amnesty International is a global movement of people campaigning actively for the protection of human rights and taking action against human rights abuses. Such action comes in the form of information campaigns through communication and media channels, as well as public pressure through mass demonstrations, vigils and lobbying.

Amnesty International Philippines was officially recognized as an Amnesty International section on January 27, 1987. Among its many accomplishments is its role in the repeal of the Death Penalty Law in the Philippines in 2005 and its participation in the successful campaign to get UN approval for a moratorium on executions in 2007, with the Philippines as co-author and signatory of the resolution.

The Amnesty International Philippines web site developed by Web Dot Com is packed with information that is systematically categorized and labeled. Despite the huge amount of data on the entire site, the visitor is not overwhelmed. Perhaps this is because the landing pages are bright and feature a clean layout which clearly displays the various sections. Navigation is definitely not a problem since links are properly labeled.

Given a prominent position is the link to the Amnesty International Report of 2009. There are Spotlights on Human Rights and Poverty, Violence against Women, Counter Terror with Justice, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). There is a section on News and Updates alongside a section on Appeals for Action. There is a special link to Good News and another one to CampAIgn, the Amnesty International newsletter.

There are buttons labeled Donate to Amnesty International, Join Amnesty International, and More ways to get involved.

There are also several search buttons. One is to select a country where Amnesty International is active and another is to select a country with human rights abuses.

There are buttons leading to the sections on Amnesty International in the Philippines, Act Now, Join Us, Activities and Publications.

The Amnesty International Philippines section is comprised of subsections titled Who We Are, explaining Amnesty International; AI Philippines; Networks, Statute of AI, AIPh ByLaws, UDHR and FAQ.

The Act Now section is comprised of subsections titled Direct Appeals, Urgent Actions and Donate.

The Join Us sections has subsections titled Members, Local Groups, Form a Group and Volunteers.

The Activities section has a list of AI Philippines activities since 1998, categorized by year.

The Publications section contains downloadable materials as well as subsections for the Newsletter, Reports, Library and Archives.

Indeed, the Amnesty International Philippines is a fitting showcase of the web development and design skills of Web Dot Com.

Web Dot Com Website Development Philippines, Inc. has been successfully serving an international clientele from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Korea, the British Virgin Islands and the Philippines for the last ten years. From Manila, Web Dot Com offers various business process outsourcing (BPO) services, including outsourcing web development and contact center services.

In the area of web development, the web hosting provider also offers domain name registration and low cost advanced web site development packages. Depending on the client’s needs, this may include advanced interactive database driven web site development, advanced portal development, heavy web based programming, web application development, content management systems, good website design, graphic design and multimedia components including flash animation development, e-commerce site solutions including a shopping cart using osCommerce, web site maintenance and support, search engine optimization, search engine marketing and social media marketing. Its programmers and developers are highly skilled at php, mysql, JavaScript and other internet languages and tools.

Web Dot Com Website Development Philippines, Inc. is your One Stop Shop Internet and Contact Center Solutions Vendor for the Global Market. Make it your own web site developer, as well.

Web Dot Com Website Development Philippines, Inc.

Address:

2nd Floor, BT&T Center

#20 E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Libis (C-5),

Quezon City, 1110 Philippines

E-mail: info@webdc.com.ph

Telephone numbers: (632) 634-4625; (632) 635-6104

Tim Zelmer asked:


There was a time, fairly early in its history, when the Internet was an almost purely social place for most of us. Shortly after it became popular, the average person connected through America Online (AOL) or CompuServe and paid by the minute to enter chat rooms and meet new people. Most of us were wary of the people we met online at first – the anonymity offered online brought out the worst in many of people during the early days when the idea of communicating with people via the Internet was new. However, the bad experiences that were had by some were vastly outweighed by the convenience, the uniqueness and the sheer fun offered by those simple chat rooms of the past.

No one – not even the Internet pioneers – could have predicted how fast the Internet would grow, and how much a part of virtually everyone’s daily life it would become. From the humble beginnings of those early chat rooms, the Internet has become a tool that most of us use to do business, stay in touch with family and friends, get news, sports and weather reports, directions and maps, buy and sell things – you name it, the odds are very good that the Internet offers you a way to do it. The amount of information available on the “information hi-way” is staggering – a simple search on Google or Yahoo can net literally millions of matching sites – and if you can buy something in a brick and mortar store, you can more than likely buy it from your PC or laptop.

Interestingly, in some ways the Internet has come full circle in that along with the other things we do online on a day-to-day basis, many people are now finding that dating online – meeting new people to form relationships with – offers them options that the bar scene, blind dates, fix-ups and other traditional ways of forming romantic relationships simply don’t. The recent explosion of online dating and online dating sites has created a situation in which proximity is no longer the deciding factor in who a person can meet. Rather than being confined to a single town or city, Internet dating offers people the option of looking for that perfect someone across the state, the country and even all across the world.

Not only has the online dating industry exploded in recent years but it has become both more user friendly and relationship specific. No matter who you are or what sort of relationship you are looking for, the odds are that there is a site out there that will fit your needs. There are sites that cater to straight dating, the gay/lesbian community, ethnically based dating (white, black, Asian, etc), bi-sexual and *********** relationships, dating based on religion, political views, ages (under 30 or over 50, etc) and pretty much any and all combinations of the previously mentioned groups. There are sites that will try and find the perfect match for you, and sites that will simply offer thousands (and in some cases tens of thousands) of user profiles and pictures for you to search through. Some sites offer only simple email introductions while other sites will offer instant messaging, private chat rooms, streaming audio, and live video capabilities all administered through the site. It only takes the investment of an hour or two of your time to find an online dating service which caters to your specific needs and desires.

While online dating certainly isn’t going to appeal to everyone, there can be no doubt that the industry’s rapid growth and expansion indicates that more and more men and women are finding it to be not only a viable but a preferable alternative to traditional forms of dating. As a matter of fact, an increasing number of men and women are finding that there are many advantages to looking for romantic companionship online. Some of these advantages include:

* Safety – There is no doubt about it, the world in general and the dating world in particular can be a dangerous place for both men and women. While a person may look or seem to be okay, it takes a considerable amount of time to really get to know anyone. Many people find that getting to know another person online – where they have control over both how much personal information they give about themselves and how much information they ask of another person – alleviates most of their safety concerns. No reputable online dating site will give out your personal information (last name, address, phone number or even email address) without your permission. It is up to the user(s) how fast or how slow a relationship progresses and, should one person have suspicions or fears about their online dating partner, ending the relationship is as simple as clicking out of the chat box or instant message.

* Convenience – For most of us, traditional dating is WORK. Whether male or female, it takes a considerable amount of time to get that look you want perfect, pick out the right wardrobe, find the right place to go, etc. The truth is, in today’s hectic world, a lot of people simply don’t have the time to do everything that they need to do to get ready for a date on a regular basis. Online dating, however, is as simple as switching on a computer and logging into your dating site. Even if you use a site that offers webcam functions, you control whether you turn the cam on, and even if it shows anything other than your smile. The impression you make on the people you are interested in can be made in ripped jeans and an old tee shirt – you don’t even need to comb your hair.

* Variety – One of the most common complaints that people in the dating scene have is that they always seem to meet the same kind of people. A lot of this is, of course, due to the fact that in many cases people from the same towns or cities tend to share many of the same personality traits. This is not the case in the online dating world. You can just as easily strike up a conversation with a girl in Kiev or a guy in Manila as you can with your next door neighbor, and this offers a wide variety of people that simply isn’t available with any other form of dating.

* Cost – Love may be blind, but finding it by traditional dating methods certainly isn’t cheap. A first date with someone you may not even know or actually be compatible with can easily run $200 or more, and there is never a guarantee that you will even enjoy yourself or want to see that person again. While virtually all online dating sites charge fees for their services, in many cases the cost of that first traditional, three hour date will buy you weeks – and even months – of online dating with a variety of people who catch your attention. And again, if you find that someone simply isn’t what you are looking for, you can simply say goodbye and try someone else … without having to pay for a cab to take them home!

As I said before, online dating isn’t for everyone – and not every approach to online dating offered by specific sites will be right for everyone. But with the almost unlimited options available and the wide variety of choices that can be explored from the comfort of one’s own home, online dating is something that should at least be looked into by anyone who is in search of that perfect someone. The one you’ve been looking for could be as near as the next chat room!

Christine Layug asked:


When it comes to mediums of entertainment and showbiz, there will be nothing more entertaining and amusing than magazines here in the Philippines. But when it comes to magazines in the Philippines, Fashion Magazine Philippines are the best type of magazine.

There are a lot of Fashion Magazine Philippines that can provide you with that, but the most popular of all are the CHALK Fashion Magazine Philippines, K Fashion Magazine Philippines, Metro: The Independent Women Fashion Magazine Philippines, Pink: A Girl’s Guide to Shopping Fashion Magazine Philippines, and many more Fashion Magazine Philippines.

Here is a small introduction about the those Fashion Magazine Philippines:

CHALK Fashion Magazine Philippines is the perfect magazine for you. The CHALK Fashion Magazine Philippines is a Lifestyle magazine for young adults, It is the Filipino student’s ultimate guide to surviving the campus life.

Metro: The Independent Women Fashion Magazine Philippines is a woman’s indispensable guide to the latest in fashion and lifestyle, Metro Magazine gives you the pulse of the spending and empowered woman. The Metro woman is at the prime of her profession and earning capacity and thus has the means—and more importantly—the attitude to live it up, and to live well. Metro is her source for the “it” item of the moment, the fitness and diet regimen that can suit her lifestyle, the latest beauty discoveries and even life-and-death issues affecting her.

K Fashion Magazine Philippines is a magazine that is carrying Kris Aquino’s celebrity equity, “K” is about getting her style, her personality, her lifestyle and her appeal. The magazine reflects the key concerns of the target market presented by Kris herself: beauty, fashion, body, relationships, career, money and self.

Pink: A Girl’s Guide to Shopping Fashion Magazine Philippines is the magazine for girls who want to know the latest fashion trends, the biggest bargain buys and the coolest places to chill. Our editorial team taps its network of trendy boutiques and ukay-ukay stores—along with some up-and-coming designers—for the coolest fashion finds. The Pink crew seeks out the latest beauty products that are just perfect for the young girls who are just coming into their own. We check out the newest hangouts and deal with some of the issues that are topmost on a preteen’s mind.

For more information about those Fashion Magazine Philippines, visit www.m-express.com.ph.

Roberto L. Bacasong asked:


Yuppie Filipinos get the chance to be employed easily once they obtained their bachelor or diploma degrees because of the emergence of contact centers everywhere in the Philippines. These workers started to fill the 24-hour skyscrapers that gives a colorful background to metro Manila’s financial districts at nighttime.

This only shows that people employed in this job for a couple of years were used to on their ticking biological sleeping habit. They slept all day long just to regain their strength and wake up again at the wee hours to prepare themselves for a nightlong work. Clad in casual attire with matching fashionable coats are the most common props if you are a customer service representative. During break time some even used to occupy the al fresco various dining areas in Manila. In Ortigas for instance, call center agents enjoy their 30-minute to 1 hour break at McDonald’s, Starbucks, among others. For those who have extra pennies, they enjoy the hot aroma of Brazilian coffee in various blend. Others may sit on the corner and lit up their cigarette in a way of releasing their stress from work. It is enjoying isn’t it?

At 8 pm. about 100 people, most 25 younger, sit in a room of enclosed cubicles outfitted with phones and computers. They’ll be working until 4 am. or depends on the schedule of their shifts. As their shifts starts, it is usually morning in the US. These contact centers are following US standard zones such as Pacific, Eastern, Mountain and Central.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Luisa Geneta disclosed that call center is her first job when she finished her bachelor’s degree on May 4, 2007. At 12 am., Geneta left her house in Tondo, a suburb village in Manila, as her shift starts at 2 am. This Banking and Finance graduate from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) is one of the top caliber representatives for Unique Interaction, an American call center based in Ortigas.

“Working in a call center in the Philippines is really a big challenge for me especially that I’m new to this business. I spent most of my time and energy on this job,” she said, who handles an inbound account.

It is a very risky to leave my house at midnight for a young lady like me. However, I consider that this is the most rewarding career that we have nowadays and this will be a big help in creating another means of livelihood for us Filipinos especially for fresh graduates like me, she claimed.

On the other hand, Margaret Estanislao, 19, a team leader of the same company, disclosed that placing the agents into action challenge her in keeping her job.

Estanislao, who started as an agent added that they tried everything in sorting out the problem of the customers. “We need to maintain our empathy if the customer is upset. They are pissed and upset not because of the representatives but to the products itself”.

Both Geneta and Estanislao agreed that this job has given them the opportunity to enhance their skills and boost their confidence when it comes of interaction with their clients in a phone-to-phone conversation.

“Not to mention the financial aid that it gives to me and my family. I think this industry will continue to prosper in the succeeding years and it will continue to be one of the leading providers of career opportunities for Filipinos,” Geneta further said.

It cannot be denied that outsourcing business is one of the most flavored industries in the Philippines and other Asian countries. It appears that contact center executives preferred this country because of the number of students produced every year, which can speak English in American way. As the third largest English-speaking country in Asia no doubt that business process outsourcing is in demand today.

BPO companies provides a state-of-the-art equipment in outsourcing their business in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. These companies trained their employees to speak like American way. In Unique Interaction, they provide fundamental call center training before the call center trainees will be allowed to take calls. The trainees has to learn account information first. Once they know the account then they are deployed ready on the floor and receive as many calls as they want. The company also teach their employees on how to handle their customers well. It is so hard to lose a customer, we know that they are considered as the lifeblood that gives full stream of support to make the company up and running and stay on the business for long.

The fact is call centers are part of the Philippine economic activity. Almost half of the 86.2 million people in the Philippines are younger than 20 years old. So don’t be surprised if you will be able to meet supervisors, team leaders, managers below 25. This is because that call center has the fastest way of promoting a career development. If the agent is performing better and receiving good CSAT ratings then no doubt that within six months or less than, this certain employee is entitled to move to another level in his or her career path. The Philippines is also one of the potential factors for outsourcing. It has been also forecast by the XMG Inc., Manila-based research and advisory firm that the nation will surpass India by 2008 as home to the world’s largest call center companies.

The Philippines offers attractive environment for the BPO companies, which is one of the key requirements by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) in applying for this business. Even now big contact center firms also expanded their centers not only in Manila but targeting the provincial levels. So it means, the revenues will not only take place within the National Capital Region (NCR) but it will also circulate to the provincial areas after passing the standard set by the Peza. Largest call centers are also found operating in Pampanga, Laguna and Baguio in Luzon; Bacolod, Cebu, Dumaguete and Iloilo in the Visayas; and Cagayan de Oro and Davao in Mindanao.

The Philippine Government is very supportive to this. Under the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, she said that BPO companies will generate billions of pesos in the country with target by 2010. When it starts to operate in 2000, now off-shore call center industry estimates to employs 60,000 people.*

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An interactive web site is undeniably more attractive to visitors and holds them longer. It also invariably earns many return visits. To make your interactive web site even more attractive, here are some features you may want to add to it, if your site does not have them yet. According to statistics, they will be even more effective if placed in your landing pages.

Discussion forums

Discussion forums are very popular among online users. Here users united by a certain interest can congregate and have online conversations, encouraging them to return again and again. Eventually, these users form an online community that becomes the solid and loyal base of the website.

Newsletter

You can also build and consolidate a long term relationship with your web site visitors by asking them to subscribe to your newsletter. At no cost, they will be able to receive updates and other useful information by email. Of course, the newsletter will also contains invitations and links to pages you want them to visit.

Online guestbook

An online guest book may take the place of a discussion forum or may co-exist with it. The difference is that comments by visitors on a guest book are about the web site and their experience on it. This may be password-protected to allow you to screen and approve or disapprove comments. This could also be a way of gathering your visitors’ email addresses if you do not have a newsletter.

Site search engine

A site search engine allows users to more easily search for something within your site. This encourages them to explore your site, too.

News column

A news column adds value to your web site by flashing up to the minute news to your visitors. This could also spark discussion with and among your visitors.

Personalized postcards

You can offer a selection of free postcards on your site, preferably with a theme related to your topic. It would be best if your visitor is able to send the postcard to an unlimited number of recipients, with a personalized message. Of course, each postcard contains a link back to your site.

Online calendar

The online calendar is particularly effective for web sites with registered users. Each one gets an individual calendar customizable with his or her appointments and alerts. This will entice the users to spend more time on the site and to check in regularly.

Calculator

A calculator is particularly handy for web sites that sell online. The user can use the calculator to figure out costs and totals before deciding on buying.

If you still do not have an interactive web site, or any web site for that matter, Web Dot Com Website Development Philippines, Inc. can help you. Based in Manila, this web site developer and web hosting provider offers domain name registration services as well as low cost advanced web site development packages. These packages include advanced interactive database driven web site development, advanced portal development, heavy web based programming, web application development, content management systems, good website design, graphic design and multimedia components including flash animation development, e-commerce site solutions including a shopping cart using osCommerce, web site maintenance and support, search engine optimization, search engine marketing and social media marketing. The company gives employment to highly trained programmers and developers equipped with skills in php, mysql, JavaScript and other internet applications.

Web Dot Com also provides business process outsourcing (BPO) services to companies from around the world outsourcing web development and other back office and front office business processes. Indeed, Web Dot Com Website Development Philippines, Inc. is your One Stop Shop Internet and Contact Center Solutions Vendor for the Global Market. You can rely on it to create your interactive web site.

Web Dot Com Website Development Philippines, Inc.

Address:

2nd Floor, BT&T Center

#20 E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Libis (C-5),

Quezon City, 1110 Philippines

E-mail: info@webdc.com.ph

Telephone numbers: (632) 634-4625; (632) 635-6104