4
filipino globe
the city
April 2008
Manila taps HK in call center training
Pilot class of 60 to undergo training at Vocational Training Council under landmark agreement
Jose Marcelo in Hong Kong
BY THE NUMBERS
lang ang oras at training kung wala
namang potential.”
Amount, in Hong dollars, of the entry fee
The Philippine and Hong Kong gov- which will be subsidized by OWWA
The program will not end with the
ernments have joined hands in a
training. Roque said the Labor De-
training program that will arm home-
bound domestic helpers with the
skills to qualify for high-paying jobs
in the growing call center industry
1,000
partment will tap its existing relation-
ships with call centers back home to
locate jobs for trainees who pass the
VTC assessment.
back home.
Salud said Hong Kong officials
A pilot class of 60 overseas Fili-
are also looking to tap the levy fund,
pino workers will receive training in nito hindi lang pang-Pilipinas. Maski
which is nearing $4 billion, since
English proficiency starting on May 4 saan ka magpunta at mag-apply ka na
it was first imposed on employers
from Hong Kong’s Vocational Train- call center agent, the certificate na i-
of foreign maids in 2003, for future
ing Council on scholarships funded issue nila will be acceptable,” Roque
classes. Another assessment will be
by the Overseas Workers Welfare Ad- said.
done from the Philippine end. “Along
ministration. The training will be partly subsi-
the way, we will assess the progress
“This is aimed at giving our work- dized by the Hong Kong government
of the class to see how we can start
ers a decent and high-paying job while the $1,000 entry fee will be
with the succeeding classes,” Roque
when they get home,” said acting shouldered by the OWWA, he added.
said.
Labor Secretary Nitoy Roque. “And Applications are now being ac-
If the Hong Kong program is suc-
the beauty of this is that it’s a govern- cepted at the OWWA’s Hong Kong
cessful, Roque said the Labor Depart-
ment-to-government agreement.” office.
ment will bring the project to other
Applicants who pass a stringent Roque said there are now an esti-
foreign posts.
screening from a VTC assessment mated 400,000 call center agents in
The tie-up with the SAR was initi-
panel will undergo two-hour training what has become the fastest-growing
ated by Salud after the proposal was
for 20 Sundays. industry in the Philippines, with en-
put forward by former Labor secre-
“I’ve seen the facilities. Academe try-level salaries pegged at P15,000
tary Arturo Brion.
talaga ang dating,” said labor attache a month. French, German and Span-
President Arroyo’s announcement
Romy Salud, who had brokered the ish-speaking call center agents are
of the call-center program during her
partnership with the VTC. “Kumpleto earning as much as P70,000 a month,
visit late last month helped fast-track
sila with computers, speech lab at la- Roque added.
the process as officials were left with
hat ng teaching aids.” Roque said applicants must have
no recourse but to pursue the Salud
At the end of the 40-hour course, been working in Hong Kong for at
Call centers are expected to hire more staff amid a business boom.
proposal.
trainees who pass a final assessment least six years; at least a high school
Roque, also the OWWA adminis-
by a VTC panel will be issued inter- graduate; must be no older than 40
dito since this is supposed to be a re- The VTC screening is also neces-
trator in a concurrent capacity, stayed
nationally recognized certificates in years old and an OWWA member in
entry program; a preparation for their sary, he added, since “kailangan tit-
behind a day after the President’s visit
English proficiency. good standing.
reintegration into the Philippines,” ingnan rin nila kung may potential
to hammer out the details with VTC
“So ang caliber ng mga products “Kailangan matagal na silang nan-
Roque said. [ang applicant], otherwise sayang
officials on April 2.
pinoypatrol@filglobe.com PINOYPATROL
Nais ng pitak na ito na maging tulay ng ating mga kababayan para
matugunan ang kanilang mga hinaing, suliranin at mga bagay bagay na nais
nilang mabigyang lunas. Ang mga ito’y maaring may kinalaman sa kanilang
gawain, pamilya o dili kaya’y problema sa kanilang mga personal na buhay
na nais lamang nilang maihinga upang gumaang ang kanilang kalooban.
Sisikapin ng Pinoy Patrol na mabigyang-linaw ang inyong mga katanungan
at maaari ring idulog namin ang hindi namin kayang tugunan sa mga
kinauukulan. Maglalathala rin ang Pinoy Patrol ng ilang mahahalagang tip o
payo na may kinalaman sa kalusugan, mga lugar na maaring puntahan sa
araw ng day off at iba pang samu’t saring bagay na may kinalaman sa inyong
pamamalagi dito sa Hong Kong. Hindi bibigyang pansin ng Pinoy Patrol ang
mga email na walang kontak number at tirahan.
UMULAN, UMARAW
umaraw. Iiniinda na raw niya ang
HUGAS SASAKYAN
sakit sa kanyang likod dahil dito.
Ang siste pa, nakabantay raw sa
Abut-abot na ang pagtitiis na
kanyang likod ang mga ito habang
ginagawa ni Gina ng Tseung Kwan
siya’y naglilinis at pinagsasalitaan
O sa kanyang mag-asawang among
nang masakit kapag may
bukod sa malupit ay hindi raw
nakikitang dumi.
makatao kung siya’y ituring. Kahit
Hindi lamang daw sa kanya
na raw lima-lima ang kuwarto sa
malupit ang among lalaki niya.
kanilang tinitirhan sa Sai Kung
Maging ang anak na babaeng
at aapat lang ang miyembro ng
dose anyos ay nagagawa din raw
pamilyang pinagsisilbihan ay
nitong sampalin kapag nagagalit.
hindi raw siya pinatutulog sa
Matindi tuloy ang tampo ng anak
maid’s room. Bagkus ay sa may
sa kanyang ama.
maliit na sulok sa rooftop siya
Sa halip na i-break ang kanyang
pinamamalagi at ayaw daw siyang
kontrata dahil sa pagmamalabis ng
makitang malapit sa kanila.
kanyang amo, sinabi ni Gina na
Ang tanging maleta nga raw
tinitiis na lamang niya ang lahat
niya ay pinalabas sa kanya dahil
dahil apat na buwan na lamang
masyado na raw nakagugulo sa
naman ang natitira sa kanyang
kanilang bahay. Tuloy, ipinakitabi
kontrata na magtatapos sa August.
na lamang niya ito sa isang
“Tingnan ko lang kung may
kapitbahay na domestic helper rin.
tumagal sa kanilang katulong,”
Lagi raw siyang pinagagalitan ng
pagtatapos pa nito.
lalaking amo na tila maamong tupa
naman kung kaharap ang ibang Tama ang ginagawa mo, Gina.
tao. Hayaan mong sila ang lumabag
Lumalabas daw kasi ito sa sa mga probisyon ng kontrata at
pelikula kaya alagang alaga ang hindi ikaw. Tingnan mo lamang
kanyang image sa mga tao. Ang ang nakasaad sa iyong kontrata at
masakit pa nito, araw-araw rin magreklamo ka sa oras na hindi na
daw pinahuhugasan sa kanya tama ang kanilang ginagawa.Tutal
ang tatlong kotse (isang van, malapit ka na ngang matapos
isang Mercedes at isang pickup) diyan. Ipanalangin mo na lang na
walang paltos araw araw, umulan o mabait ang susunod mong amo.
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