Overseas Filipino Workers
(OFW) and other Philippine News
News Articles
> MANAGING
THE ECONOMY REQUIRES MORE THAN SIMPLE "PRACTICAL
INTELLIGENCE"
> PRESIDENT ARROYO LAUNCHES
P3-BILLION HEALTH CARE PROGRAM
> METRO MANILA IS CLEANER
IN 2003
> OFW REMITTANCES REACH $7.6
BILLION
> A WAKE-UP CALL FROM
A FILIPINO & A BRITON
> NEDA BLAMES POLITICS FOR
ECONOMIC WOES, URGENT POLITICAL REFORMS A MUST
> ASIAN CALL CENTERS: CONTINENT
REVIEW 2003 RP RANKS FIRST IN REGION
> PINAY EXTRADITED TO U.S.
FOR MURDERS
> FEDERICO PASCUAL, JR:
NOBODY ASKS ABOUT PLATFORMS ANYMORE
> POEA: NO CAREGIVER HIRINGS
IN JAPAN
MANAGING THE ECONOMY REQUIRES
MORE THAN SIMPLE "PRACTICAL
INTELLIGENCE"
MANILA, February 3, 2004 (STAR) By Jose Rodel Clapano - Two
administration lawmakers said yesterday managing the country’s
economy is a
complex job that requires more than simple "practical intelligence."
"With the difficulties we are facing. It is imperative that
we
support a leadership that shows proven capability to keep the economy
on its
feet, a president who can generate jobs," Sen. Francis Pangilinan
said.
Citing the results of the recent Social Weather Stations (SWS)
survey, Pangilinan said the people are realizing they should elect
a
president who can effectively manage the affairs of the national economy
and
generate more jobs.
"It is no surprise that President Arroyo received high marks
from the
business community. The reality is fast catching up, as shown in the
latest SWS survey," he said.
He said the average voter is intelligent enough to distinguish those
"who have a clear grasp of issues from those who have not and
those who
have a proven record of leadership and accomplishment from those who
have none."
Sen. Robert Barbers, for his part, said President Arroyo is still
the
candidate to beat in the May 10 elections.
He said the public has finally realized what the country needs is
a
seasoned and experienced leader to hold the reins of government.
"The voting public have finally seen the light and realized
what the
country needs is a leader like GMA who possessed all the necessary
skills, knowledge and experience which could uplift the economy,"
Barbers
said.
Davao Rep. Prospero Nograles, for his part, said the dramatic
recovery of Mrs. Arroyo in the SWS survey ratings has rekindled the
confidence
of businessmen and investors which will eventually result in the
improvement in the value of the peso and the economy.
Nograles said the latest survey has Mrs. Arroyo trailing the
frontrunner, movie actor and opposition presidential candidate Fernando
Poe Jr.
by a "manageable" nine percentage points.
Nograles also noted that Mrs. Arroyo was the runaway winner while
Poe
did not get any votes in the mock poll conducted by the Makati Business
Club (MBC).
"President Arroyo is within hitting distance and will overtake
FPJ
(Poe) in the next survey," Nograles said.
The Davao lawmaker said party leaders of the ruling Lakas-Christian
Muslim Democrats (Lakas) are buoyed by the report on the latest survey
ratings, which served as an inspiration for them to strive harder
to
gain more support for Mrs. Arroyo’s bid for a full six-year
term in the
May polls.
Nograles blamed Poe’s entry in the presidential race as one
of the
possible factors that caused the peso to depreciate further against
the
US dollar.
Poe, an action movie star and high-school
dropout with no political
experience, has been leading voter surveys because of his popularity
with the country’s poor.
But a number of business leaders expressed fears that Poe could
reprise the failed presidency of his bosom buddy, deposed leader Joseph
Estrada.
After Poe announced his bid for president in November, the peso
quickly fell to one of its lowest exchange rates against the US dollar.
Nograles said the business community simply does not simply trust
a
Poe presidency, notwithstanding the Commission on Elections’
(Comelec)
dismissal last month of the disqualification case against the opposition
candidate on grounds that he is not a natural-born Filipino.
"These could not be a series of coincidence as they appear
to be
related to a possible presidential victory for FPJ," Nograles
said.
Nograles said Mrs. Arroyo’s high approval rating showed the
"thinking
public" are now forming a critical mass.
Administration lawmakers Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers
and Taguig-Pateros Rep. Allan Peter Cayetano said former education
secretary Raul Roco’s hitting Mrs. Arroyo and the latest SWS
survey are "a
sign of desperation." – With Paolo Romero, Christina Mendez
PRESIDENT ARROYO LAUNCHES P3-BILLION HEALTH CARE
PROGRAM
MANILA, February 3, 2004 (STAR) President Arroyo formally launched
yesterday the P3-billion universal health insurance coverage that
would
provide either free or subsidized hospitalization and other medical
assistance to government and private sector employees and indigent
families.
Mrs. Arroyo provided the funding for the program under Executive
Order No. 276, which she issued to finance the government-subsidized
universal health insurance coverage of all Filipinos.
The President announced this issuance of EO 276 in her speech
yesterday at the formal launching of the PhilHealth Universal Insurance
Coverage at the first national convention of the Philippine Social
Security
Association (PILSSA) at the Philippine International Convention Center
(PICC) on Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City.
"For the head of the family, one day of sickness is one day
without
food for the family," the President said. "The objective
of the ordinary
Filipino is health, so I signed EO 276."
The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) replaced the
Medicare system and was created under the National Health Insurance
Act of
1995.
PhilHealth is mandated to provide health insurance coverage for
all
Filipinos and has been working toward this goal since its inception.
The President said this government health care subsidy program is
another "installment" of her three-year presidency to respond
to the needs
of "ordinary Filipinos," most of whom cannot afford the
rising cost of
health care.
"Today, we’re also launching a new service for the Filipino
families
— universal family health insurance — because, in my short
period of
presidency, we reached majority of families covered by health insurance,"
she said.
All families and individuals covered by family
health insurance or
PhilHealth "will be given either free or subsidized hospitalization,
depending on how big expenses are, including rooms, doctors, laboratory,
medicines, x-ray (and) operations, if need be," the President
said.
"The truth is hard to face about the lack of availability or
access
to health services, but now we are facing it squarely," the President
said. She also said "we must follow this up with a number of
other
down-payments. "
Under EO 276, the President directed the Philippine Charity
Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), PhilHealth, the Department of Budget and
Management (DBM) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government
(DILG) and other concerned government agencies to help identify poor
families to
be included in this program.
In order to "graduate from majority coverage to universal coverage,
we shall put fund to this of P3 billion, half would come from the
PCSO
and half from the national government, which has budgetary outlay
that
we expanded in 2004 financial assistance to local government units
as
subsidy for health insurance premiums for indigents," she said.
The President justified the subsidy allocated by the national
government for this universal health insurance coverage, saying the
"actuarial" conditions of both the Government Service Insurance
System (GSIS) and the Social Security System (SSS) are not enough
to provide the needed
funding for their members nationwide.
"The best way of helping the poor through social security will
be by
shoring up the finances of all these social security agencies... by
pursuing investments and employment program so that more employees
can pay
the premium," she said.
"We have made a strong start in just this short period of my
presidency to undo the economic and political mess that we inherited,"
she
said.
The President, who seeks a full six-year term in the May elections,
highlighted the accomplishments of her administration over the past
three years. Under the Arroyo administration, over three million jobs
were
created as a result of the 23-percent increase in new investments
in
the Philippines.
She cited a report of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA)
on investment in the country’s economic zones, which surged
400 percent
in January 2004. Investments rose from P1.8 billion in January 2003
to
9.5 billion in January this year, according to the PEZA report.
This surge in investments, she said, is "strong, positive support
of
our strong economic platform. In the coming months and years, this
will
give more jobs, so more can pay (their SSS premiums)." The President
also expressed the hope that "when the time comes... the actuarial
soundness will add more benefits."
"Right now, we must meet the needs of ordinary Filipinos,"
she said
appealing to health insurance agencies. "We must bring health
insurance
to all families. In this I hope to be able to count on your support...
together, let’s secure the future of the average Filipino."
While SSS members are still waiting for the agency to "put
in order
their actuarial soundness after past bad investments it inherited"
from
previous administrations, the President lauded the SSS headed by Cora
dela Paz for coming up with its "Pensioners’ Day"
project.
The new SSS project was launched Friday at the SSS head office along
East Avenue in Quezon City. It provides free medical and social
services to SSS pensioners every last Friday of the month and will
be
replicated in other SSS hubs.
"This is a big help for pensioners," the President said.
"I thank SSS
that while you are still trying to put order to your actuarial
soundness, you (found a way to) help our pensioners."
Meanwhile, the President told GSIS officials led by GSIS general
manager Winston Garcia to speed up completion of the agency’s
computerized
pension and loan program management system to totally wipe out the
backlog of claims, which has been a source of complaint for GSIS members.
From the PICC, the President went to the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical
Center (JRMMC) on Rizal Avenue in Sta. Cruz, Manila where she
distributed PhilHealth cards bearing her photograph to indigent patients
being
treated at the government hospital.
She was assisted by Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit, PCSO general
manager Livia Singson-de Leon and JRMMC director Dr. Alicia Reyes.
The President visited the sickbeds of ten patients at the hospital’s
emergency ward and spoke briefly with each patient and members of
their
families.
The President’s visit to JRMMC was aired over RPN-9 television
under
the auspices of PhilHealth and the PCSO. — Marichu Villanueva,
Sheila
Crisostomo
TOP
METRO MANILA IS CLEANER IN 2003
METRO MANILA, February 3, 2004 (STAR) (AFP) By Nikko Dizon - Metro
Manila was 25 percent cleaner in 2003 compared to the previous year,
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando
announced yesterday.
"We have minimized the number of garbage piles especially on
the main
thoroughfares of Metro Manila. The streets are definitely cleaner,"
Fernando said at a press conference.
The result was determined using the monitoring system the MMDA’s
Health Operations Center devised, he added.
Fernando gave credit to the local government units (LGUs) and the
barangays that facilitated the garbage collection and the cleaning
of
their areas.
Fernando said the result was an "offshoot" of the Unified
Garbage
Collection scheme that the Metro Manila Council passed in August 2002
that
required the households to put their garbage in front of their houses
for collection.
"One reason for the (proliferation) of garbage piles is that
people
used to bring their garbage to the main thoroughfares for the
collection," Fernando explained.
Fernando said he was hopeful Metro Manila can repeat this feat next
year.
Since Fernando assumed office in July 2002, a 40-man MMDA monitoring
team has gone around Metro Manila’s 1,693 barangays to count
the
garbage piles they literally see on the streets, Health Operations
Center
Executive Director, Dr. Liwanag Godinez, told reporters.
"He wanted us to mark with dots the vicinity maps of the place
to
indicate where we saw the garbage pile," Godinez said.
The monitoring team was later equipped with a video camera to
document their observations.
The photos would be printed and be sent to the concerned mayors,
along with a letter from the MMDA.
"The 25 percent figure is in fact, still modest. I believe
we are
using an effective monitoring system because the mayors are alerted.
We
are very specific in our reports, indicating the exact date, time
and
address where we saw the garbage pile," Godinez said.
Godinez noted that after reporting to the mayors, the MMDA team
would
see an improvement in the dirty areas.
Aside from the door-to-door collection policy and the MMDA’s
regular
monitoring, Godinez said the MMDA’s "Pangit" posters
pasted on dirty
spots and the recently concluded search for the cleanest and dirtiest
barangays were also the reasons for having cleaner streets.
"The barangay captains did not want to be sanctioned,"
Godinez said.
But Fernando, at the press conference, said the MMDA decided not
to
have the heads of the dirty barangays sanctioned by the Department
of
Interior and Local Government (DILG) anymore.
"Instead of penalizing them, we have to assist these barangays
to
make them the model barangays. We have to take a positive approach.
We
will help them get to have a feel of a clean barangay, uplift their
standards, and change their lifestyles," Fernando said.
He declined to name the dirty barangays.
TOP
OFW REMITTANCES REACH $7.6 BILLION
MANILA, February 5, 2004 (STAR) By Des Ferriols - Preliminary figures
from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) indicate that remittances
from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) reached $7.6 billion in 2003,
up by five to six percent from the previous year.
The BSP revealed that despite the decline in the deployment of Filipino
workers abroad, the increase in the number of workers with higher-paying
jobs made up for the decline in the actual number of people working
abroad.
BSP Deputy Governor Amando Tetangco told reporters yesterday that
the increase in remittances was due mainly to the increase in the
deployment of sea-based workers who are usually higher paid than their
land-based counterparts.
In 2004, Tetangco said the BSP still expects OFW remittances to
increase by three percent although he said this was a conservative
target considering the expected surge in the US and Japanese economies.
"Hopefully, this would translate to higher hiring of Filipino
workers," Tetangco said. "But we will have the opportunity
to review this target at the end of the first and second quarters
so we will be more certain then."
"OFW remittances remain a critical component in both the national
income accounts and the balance of payments (BOP)," Tetangco
said. "They accounted for 10.8 percent of real gross domestic
product (GDP) and 15.6 percent of total current account receipts in
2002."
According to Tetangco, the major sources of OFW remittances during
the period were the US, Saudi Arabia, Japan, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore,
and the United Arab Emirates.
The increase in OFW remittances could be misleading, however, because
the dramatic drop in actual deployment of workers shows that Filipino
labor was being edged out of its traditional markets.
The BSP had already expressed alarm over the continuing decline
in the deployment of OFWs, warning that other countries will soon
overtake the Philippines in the international labor market.
The country has been heavily dependent on OFW remittances, and heavy
competition from countries like India, Malaysia and Indonesia could
prove disastrous.
BSP economic research manager Diwa Guinigundo told reporters that
although Filipino workers were still competitive, other countries
were moving into the labor market with redoubled efforts and systematic
development strategies intended to grab market share.
Moreover, the traditional destinations in the Middle East have been
nationalizing their labor markets while European countries have become
even more restrictive against immigration.
"If we are moving fast, everyone else
is on turbo speed,"Guinigundo said. "Other countries like
India, Malaysia and Indonesia are training their workers specifically
for the overseas market."
TOP
A WAKE-UP CALL FROM A FILIPINO & A BRITON
MANILA, FEBRUARY 6, 2004 (STAR) DIRECTLINE By Boy Abunda - A couple
of weeks ago, Direct Line printed in full an e-mail from a friend,
in
reaction to an item called Shattered Dreams written by Atty. Silverio
Aquino. The following is Atty. Aquino’s reaction, which I am
also
printing in full. Read on.
Dear Mr. Abunda:
I wish to react to the letter of Atty. Bebong Muñoz which
he sent to
you and his UP and Ateneo colleagues and which was quoted in your
column in The Philippine STAR. He disagrees with my piece Shattered
Hope.
Mr. Muñoz is a lawyer and well enough to go and stay in the
US as
"graduate student and teaching fellow in Columbia University"
and where he
hobnobs with important people. It is therefore easy for him to say
that
he will come back home as he urges Filipinos at the same time not
to
leave but instead stay and love our country.
I am also an attorney and I may be better off than the average lawyer
because I retired as the head of the legal division of one of the
country’s biggest conglomerates and I have been in business.
Therefore, like
Atty. Muñoz, I can afford to stay in the Philippines and ignore
the
corruption, criminality, excessive politics and the appalling greed,
incompetence and other ills in the leadership. For all I care, personally,
the politicians can continue putting into office actors, athletes,
high
school drop-outs and morons. I think I will survive – until
I dare go
out in the streets and be mugged, kidnapped or killed even in broad
daylight, which is almost a daily occurrence.
But my Shattered Hope is not about Atty. Muñoz or myself.
It is about
the millions of young Filipinos, typified by my four children now
abroad, who are trying to survive but are losing hope for themselves
and
their children in this country. They are part of the ascertained 20
percent of our people who want to leave for good, not because they
don’t have
the love of country Atty. Muñoz speaks of but because, I am
sure they
will say, you can’t eat patriotism. They don’t aspire
for the same
American Dream of Atty. Muñoz. They dream only for a good and
decent life
anywhere else in the world because they and their children won’t
have it
in this country.
My piece was also intended as a wake-up call
for our leaders because
there, I recounted that before Marcos, our leaders from Quezon to
Macapagal were good men and we had also good leaders in Congress and
the
Judiciary. For us old enough to remember, our country’s economy
was the
most progressive in Asia, second only to Japan’s, and only a
few
Filipinos cared to immigrate. After Marcos, we are at the bottom of
the heap
and may be going further down unless our leaders wake up.
For the sake of balanced reporting, I hope you will give a copy
of
this letter to Atty. Muñoz so that he may, if he cares, also
give copies
of it to his many UP and Ateneo colleagues abroad who may not know
what
goes on now in our country.
Very truly yours,
– Silverio F. Aquino (signed)
I received another letter from an Englishman married to a Filipina,
who also read Bebong Muñoz’s letter. Here it is.
Dear Sir:
After reading the article in the Entertainment section, I was moved
to write to you about the writer’s view.
As an Englishman married to a Filipino nurse, I feel that as a
regular visitor to the Philippines that I have become more aware of
my wife’s
needs by understanding her background and culture.
As an engineer, I have traveled to many countries because of my
work
and I have had time to observe the different cultures and the reactions
by individuals at what an Englishman would deem as innocent, but to
many a problem.
I have learned to look, listen and learn, that methods from around
the world vary with some greater or smaller degree and my quiet
acceptance of this has allowed me to move freely within the society
without
problems. None more than in the Philippines, very much a culture with
western attitudes and the dream of wealth has great extremes for the
rich
and poor.
The poverty I have encountered has left me with great sadness and
yet
I am told it is their choice. This, I find very difficult to understand
or accept as no one loves living in conditions of extreme deprivation.
But, if that is, all they know or understand is that poverty is the
result of poor education of the many. If so, there is no hope or future
for its people.
The love of one’s own country is of paramount importance and
vital to
its rehabilitation. The greatest asset of any country is its people.
The Philippines is no different.
My wife, who now lives in the UK but visits her family regularly
and
supports them in many ways not just with money but with values gained
from looking and learning about how other people cope with their own
adversity. Her view of life has changed, and after many years of working
within a totally different environment has taught her the values of
caring not only for herself, but the countryside, rivers and the wildlife.
She has changed not only as a person but her values have also
changed. As a nurse, she left the Philippines to support her family
not to
desert the country of her origin. She is and will always remain a
Filipino. Her love for the country and its people is as strong as
ever, her
religion remains the same, unaffected by the many changes she has
encountered. Like many nurses throughout the UK and even the world,
they are
respected for the many contributory attributes and most of all the
determination to succeed in an alien environment with their built-in
dignity,
kindness and understanding of each others’ needs.
The Filipino as an ndividuals is very tenacious and hardworking
and
has to rely on his or her own ability to survive, often without help
or
guidance on how they perceive or understand things they do.
I recall as a child the many problems the British faced in the past
and the hardship they had to endure in often cruel and bitter
conditions. Its own society ignored its most powerful asset –
its people. Today,
we enjoy the good life but it was when the people
and its masters
worked jointly to build a better country, when blame is not poured
out on
anybody, and everyone takes equal responsibilty, will the future you
so
richly deserve, finally come.
I recall in 1979 when Margaret Thatcher, known by many as the "Iron
Lady," said "you will not like the medicine but you will
have to accept
it." She was right. It took many years to return to a stable
economy
but we got there. Not separately but together.
God bless you all.
– Terry Bawden
313 J. McDivitt Street
Moonwalk Phase 2
Parañaque City
TOP
NEDA BLAMES POLITICS FOR ECONOMIC WOES, URGENT
POLITICAL REFORMS A MUST
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, February 9, 2004 (STAR) By Bong Fabe - Too
much
politicking is bringing the country down economically and this is
why
political reforms should be institutionalized, National Economic and
Development Authority (NEDA) Director Romulo Neri said yesterday.
Neri told reporters Saturday there is an urgent need to change the
country’s political system because the present setup is making
it
difficult for the economy to grow, as the whole political structure
is
unfriendly to economic progress.
"We realized that it’s hard to
bring the economy forward unless we
undertake political reform," he said. "There’s too
much politicking in
our country because of the very short nature of our political system
— we
hold elections every three years."
Neri said some policies tend to favor certain investment groups
that
finance the elections. Politicians also do not take a "single
direction" as far as advocacies are concerned, he said.
Meanwhile, political ana-lyst and STAR columnist Alex Magno cautioned
the electorate against poll fraud, saying that a failure of elections
will completely undermine investors’ confidence in the Philippines.
He urged Filipinos to choose a leader "who will be capable
of holding
things together" to prevent capital flight.
"The last thing we need is a laughable leadership," he
told reporters
after speaking at the Mindanao Economics Students’ Convention
organized
by the Xavier University Economic Society.
To prevent this, he said the electorate should set the standards
for
their leaders.
Magno is the presidential adviser on economic affairs and a board
director of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP). He also
teaches
political science at the University of the Philippines.
Magno urged the electorate to go for candidates who have clearly
proven track records and to reject those who have no clear program
of
government.
The country has been rocked recently by a series of political
upheavals, from the showdown between the House of Representatives
and the
Supreme Court over the initiation of a second impeachment case against
Chief Justice Hilario Davide, to the political circus of candidates
shifting party loyalties in the run-up to the May 10 national elections.
Vice President Teofisto Guingona and Sen. Loren Legarda bolted the
ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party last October.
Guingona now heads the advocacy group Bangon, while Legarda is the
vice-presidential candidate of the opposition Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang
Pilipino.
Six contenders are vying for the presidency, including President
Arroyo, who had promised on Dec. 30, 2002 that she would not seek
a full
six-year term of office.
Running against Mrs. Arroyo and the other contenders is Jesus is
Lord
(JIL) movement leader Eddie Villanueva, who was once a staunch ally
of
the President.
The united opposition, on the other hand has two presidential
contenders, Poe, who has the endorsement of Laban ng Demokratikong
Pilipino
(LDP) chairman Sen. Edgardo Angara, and Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who is
running on the endorsement of LDP secretary-general, Makati City Rep.
Agapito Aquino.
Neither Poe nor Lacson are backing out of the presidential derby,
despite their "gentleman’s agreement" to settle the
matter between
themselves and come out with only one standard-bearer for the KNP,
of which
the LDP is part. This has resulted in a deep rift between the two
factions of the LDP, the country’s largest opposition party.
Also running for president are Alyansa ng Pag-asa standard-bearer
Raul Roco and businessman Eddie Gil.
Last year, the mudslinging began early, with Lacson accusing First
Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo of ownership of the controversial Jose
Pidal
account, while the eight-year-old Kuratong Baleleng multiple murder
case was reopened, with Lacson the principal accused.
Lacson claimed the reopening of the Kuratong Baleleng case was merely
political persecution, while the First Gentleman said the Jose Pidal
scandal was motivated by politics.
On the local level, since the electorate selects a new mayor, city
council and other local officials every three years, elections often
spell a lack of continuity for projects begun by a different set of
local
officials than those who win the balloting.
This often results in many half-baked projects and realignment of
local government unit (LGU) funds to other projects.
In cases where the local executives do try to continue their
predecessors’ projects, the momentum for these projects’
completion is lost.
ASIAN CALL CENTERS: CONTINENT REVIEW 2003 RP RANKS
FIRST IN REGION
MANILA, February 10, 2004 (STAR) EVERYONE KNOWS By Robert O’malley
-
Asian call centres (First of two parts) This is the third year of
the
Asian Call Center Review. The report was initially produced in response
to a lack of information about the potential locations for offshore
call center work. The report has received widespread praise for its
work
detailing the pros and cons of each country in Asia from Pakistan
heading east to Japan. The offshore call center industry has matured
amazingly quickly, posing new opportunities and problems to the main
countries.
This year’s report takes a different angle. Previous reports
analyzed
the results based on each of the seven different elements but this
report analyzes on a country by country basis with particular emphasis
on
the most serious contenders and little discussion of the low-ranking
countries. The Philippines The Philippines has one major advantage
over
India and the other potential locations, and that is the Filipinos.
Filipinos speak far better English than those in any other country
in Asia
and the Philippines is by far the most "Westernized" in
the entire
continent. Filipinos don’t need additional English classes or
to watch
Western TV programs because they do this already as naturally as any
American.
The Philippines is still slightly more expensive
than India if you
examine the figures from a distant perspective. However, a typical
Filipino graduate has far superior communication and English skills
than his
Indian counterpart and when comparing like-for-like, the Filipino
offers better value for money.
The other major factor is that the Philippines has far fewer vendors
than India but it appears that more companies may try to jump on the
call center bandwagon, which may squeeze the labor supply, particularly
in Metro Manila. Other urban centers such as Metro Cebu and Angeles
City
seem determined to offer increased capacity.
There is concern about the political instability in the Philippines
but this has had no operational impact on the large number of call
centers already active in the country. The presidential elections
are
upcoming but it is unlikely that any of the candidates will try to
undermine
the industry, which is providing much-needed jobs.
Over recent years, the local currency (the peso) has steadily
declined in value to around 55-56 to a US dollar but this has only
made the
country even more competitive.
All of these factors combine to retain the Philippines as by far
the
most suitable destination for English-speaking call center activity
in
Asia. India India dropped in a few areas but stayed at the number
2
spot. However, it must be stated that India would have moved down
behind
Sri Lanka if it had not been for the political upheavals there in
the
past few months. It did improve its telecommunications. The major
telecommunications companies know the potential of India’s call
center
industry and have been putting in vast sums of money to take advantage
of it.
The key to the success of India is that it has proven success
already. However, unlike the Philippines, it has had a series of major
foul-ups, mainly due to the quality of the individual vendors. But
there are
some issues with India, which means it is still behind the Philippines
in some ways.
The Indian market is likely to grow at 100 percent year on year
for a
couple more years before growth slows down.
India’s main problem is that there are now too many call centers
seeking two few suitable call center agents, and the problem is likely
to
become even more acute with continued triple-digit growth.
In our next column, I will feature the analysis of the other
countries included in this report.
* * * Robert O’Malley is the COO of Asian Call Centres, a
subsidiary
of Active Business Solutions Inc. and a member of Yapster
e-Conglomerate Inc. You may contact him at rob.omalley@asiancallcentres.com.
TOP
PINAY EXTRADITED TO U.S. FOR MURDERS
MANILA, February 14, 2004 (STAR) By Cecille Suerte Felipe - A
Filipina who fought against her extradition all the way to the Supreme
Court
was handed to US marshalls last night for the flight to Los Angeles,
where she faces double murder charges for killing a father and son
in
1997.
Asuncion Carag Espina, 46, alias Tootsie of Makati City, was the
first Filipina arrested since the Extradition Treaty was signed between
the
Philippine and US governments.
Under the treaty, the National Bureau of Investigation is the only
law enforcement agency authorized to handle extradition cases, Director
Reynaldo Wycoco said.
US Marshals Tania Archer and Cecilo Jacot arrived in the country
last
Tuesday to fetch the extraditee, who was scheduled to board the 11
p.m.
Continental Air Lines flight to Los Angeles, California.
The US Department of Justice asked the Philippine government to
extradite Espina, who was accused of shooting her business partners,
Julius
Zimmelman and his son Irwin, in California. The request was made after
Espina evaded arrest by returning to the Philippines after the
killings.
With the US government’s extradition request, Manila Judge
Manuel
Barrios of Branch 55 issued a warrant for Espina’s arrest.
By virtue of Barrios’ warrant, Espina was arrested by agents
of the
NBI-International Police (Interpol) Division on Feb 13, 1998.
In his two-page order dated Dec. 29, Barrios ordered that Espina
be
placed at the disposal of the authorities of the United States of
America for extradition process at a time and date to be determined
by the
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) after coordination with the US
embassy in Manila.
Barrios said there are no more obstacles to the execution of the
extradition order.
When the NBI Interpol received a copy of Barrios’ order, lawyer
and
Interpol executive officer Jun de Castro coordinated with the DFA
and
the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Espina spent six years in jail, during which she fought her
extradition all the way to the Supreme Court.
Lawyer Ricardo Diaz tapped agents Mario Garcia and Raul Tipace to
escort Espina to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) where
the
extraditee was to be turned over to her US marshals.
Reporters tried to interview Espina, but she refused to face the
press. De Castro said the woman vowed to fight her case in court.
The NBI, under Wycoco, has extradited a number of Filipinos to
countries where they face charges and which have extradition treaties
with
the Philippines.
The extraditees include former Manila congressman Mark Jimenez for
wire fraud and for making illegal campaign contributions to the political
party of former US President Bill Clinton.
The last extraditee was former Quezon governor Eduardo Rodriguez
for
insurance fraud of US$150,000. He declared his wife, Imelda, and
mother-in-law, Gloria, dead in an accident and collected insurance
benefits.
The reported fraud was discovered by the insurance firm, which filed
charges against Rodriguez.
FEDERICO PASCUAL, JR: NOBODY ASKS ABOUT PLATFORMS
ANYMORE
MANILA, February 15, 2004 (STAR) POSTSCRIPT By Federico D. Pascual,
Jr. - LIFE’S PRIORITIES: We swear that the Sunday piece below
is not
from San Miguel brewery, but from our pile of old e-mail. The source,
unfortunately lost when we archived the item, deserves two cans of
cold
beer from us anytime he/she comes forward.
WHEN things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24
hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar . . . and
the
beer.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items
in
front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very
large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf
balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that
it
was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into
the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open
areas
between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar
was
full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the
jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more
if
the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."
The professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table
and
poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty
space between the sand. The students laughed.
"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I
want you to
recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the
important things – your family, your children, your health,
your friends,
your favorite passions, God – things that if everything else
was lost
and only they remained, your life would still be full.
"The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job,
your
house, your car. The sand is everything else – the small stuff.
"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued,
"there is no
room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
"The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy
on the
small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important
to you.
"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your
partner out to dinner. Play another 18. „There will always be
time to clean
the house, and fix the disposal.
"Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really
matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer
represented.
The professor smiled. "I’m glad you asked," he said.
"It just goes to
show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s
always
room for a couple of beers."
* * *
WHAT PLATFORM?: Scanning newspapers and watching TV, you will note
that the presidential candidates, their teammates in tow, have plunged
into barnstorming in the provinces.
That was mostly waving to the crowd from a vehicle, blowing kisses
and shaking a few outstretched hands and occasionally mounting a stage
to
sing, dance and say a few words.
As it goes, it seems everybody has forgotten about party platforms.
In such provincial sorties, nobody asks and nobody talks about
platforms.
And we can’t blame the candidates. The people are not interested
in
platforms. Instead, they want entertainment.
This means that Fernando Poe Jr. is getting away with running for
the
highest post in the land without having to discuss a well-thought
out
program of government.
* * *
PLATFORMS FOR SALE: The writing of platforms or programs of
government is a thriving business when elections come around.
It us much like an essay-writing contest. The candidate who can
round
up the best team of specialists and writers, and pay them handsomely,
is likely to come up with the best platform in town.
It does not matter if the candidate does not understand, or
appreciate, the program of government that he bought. Likely lurking
in his mind
is the thought, probably valid, that nobody bothers with platforms
except the nitpickers.
Besides, if we may follow their cynical line of thought, a platform
is thrown out once it had served its purpose of getting a candidate
elected.
In this light, we begin to understand why the "covenant"
embodying
the program of Poe was not presented by the candidate himself but
by his
media bureau.
Actually, the problem of Poe is not the writing of his program (no
candidate ever writes his own platform), but his explaiWater authorities
use a variety of treatment methods to make water safe to drink; most
use multistep processes that progressively remove finer and finer
contaminants.ning and defending it.
This is akin to writing a thesis in graduate school. A student can
go
to C. M. Recto Ave. in downtown Manila and buy a thesis of his choice.
But defending it is altogether another matter.
No wonder Poe is scared to death about being asked about his platform
or program of government.
* * *
UNDIPLOMATIC TALK: We were startled to hear about Consul General
Akio
Igawa’s admitting to some newshen that foreign investors, including
those from Japan, are a bit uneasy about the prospects of a Poe
presidency.
Granting it is true that Japanese investors, and we presume the
Japanese government itself, are not sure the Philippines would remain
a good
investment area under Poe, a foreign diplomat is not to be caught
saying it.
Such talk is sometimes taken for meddling in local affairs. In this
case, however, the consul – who happens to be the deputy chief
of
mission at the Japanese embassy – was pressed to comment and
he simply did.
* * *
KISS OF DEATH: The open endorsement by the NDF/NPA of the candidacy
of Poe may be welcomed by his partisans as a positive sign that could
lead to the end of the decades-old insurgency.
On the contrary, we see communist endorsement as a kiss of death.
We doubt if our major allies and trading partners, the United States
and Japan for instance, would feel comfortable seeing our president
being cozy with the communists.
With the US having tagged the National Democratic Front/New People’s
Army as a terrorist group, how can Washington bring itself to
supporting a Poe presidency seen as somewhat inclined to the Left?
The actor, by the way, also disturbed the sensibilities of American
businessmen recently when he told a UP forum in Diliman that he was
against globalization and trade liberalization, two important pillars
of
American foreign policy.
* * *
DEBT CYCLE: "So what?" the street crowd might ask as it
rallies
around its idol dishing out brave rhetoric.
Somebody should tell them that this country cannot recover within
a
six-year presidency from the economic mess by using only its own
resources that even now are dwindling at an alarming rate.
To put it bluntly, we are caught in a debt-vs-development spiral
that
forces us to keep borrowing to raise new money for development –
after
using part of that debt to pay off just the interest of our ballooning
public debt.
The revenues that the finance department is able to extract from
the
anemic economy are not enough to carry us over the budget deficit
of
about P200 billion, the public debt of some P2.3 trillion, and other
urgent expenditures.
To recover, we have no choice but to borrow some more.
It is in this context, plus the widespread doubt that Poe may not
be
able to manage the economy well, that we see a possible hesitation
of
major allies in case the actor is cast as president.
* * *
ePOSTSCRIPT: E-mail comments to manilamail@pacific.net.ph. If you
have no immediate Internet access, you can use your cellphone. Type
POSTSCRIPT, (space), followed by your message and your name, and send
to
2960. You can preview Postscript at www.manilamail.com even before
it sees
print.
POEA: NO CAREGIVER HIRINGS IN JAPAN
MANILA, February 16, 2004 (STAR) By Mayen Jaymalin - Caregivers
who
are hoping to find work in Japan, beware.
According to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration
(POEA), the government is not deploying caregivers to Japan despite
previous
negotiations for the hiring of health workers there.
"Japan’s caregiver sector is still closed to foreign
workers and it
will take sometime for it to open up," POEA chief Rosalinda Baldoz
said,
warning aspiring caregivers to be wary of illegal recruiters.
Baldoz advised jobseekers to seek information and guidance from
the
POEA to avoid being preyed on by illegal recruiters who promise them
jobs as caregivers in Japan.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) earlier expressed
optimism that Japan would soon be hiring Filipino nurses and other
health
caregivers after President Arroyo’s visit there in mid-2003.
Baldoz said there is also an existing ban on the deployment of
Filipino household workers in Palau and that such a prohibition will
unlikely
be lifted soon.
She said Palau does not have industries requiring the skills of
Filipino workers.
Baldoz said her office has received several reports of jobseekers
being duped by illegal recruiters who had promised them non-existent
work
in Palau.
********************************************
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ONLINE (PHNO)
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