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Showing posts from 2008

14 Call Center Interview Questions & Answers

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The call center industry is one of the fastest growing in the country these days. As recently as ten years ago, there were only a few call center agents and the word call center was hardly ever used in the country. Today, almost every family has at least one member working in the call center industry. The reason for this boom is partly economics. In the Philippines, low paying jobs are very notorious and while call centers set up shop here because of the low labor costs, Filipinos decide to work for the call center industry because it pays higher than average wages. Consider this: if you are an average worker with an entry level position, you probably are getting paid seven to ten thousand a month; meanwhile, an average employee in the call center industry with an entry level position will get around fifteen thousand pesos a month, plus free dental and health benefits (HMO). Call centers also will pay your SSS (Social Security), PAGIBIG (home building fund), and PhilHealth (health ins...
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Tagalog/Filipino version of Cuando by Comic Relief

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It occured to me that there will be people who would like to know what the lyrics mean (people from Luzon mostly). I did my best to translate Cuando into Tagalog/Filipino. Here is my Tagalog/Filipino version of this song. Kailan by Comic Relief Kumusta ka na? Saan ka pupunta? Pwede ba tayong mamasyal? Pasensya ka na Kung wala akong pera Pero susubukan kong ibigay sa iyo ang lahat Manhid ka ba? Hahayaan mo lang akong nagdurusa Kinakanta itong kantang ito ng buong puso at isip ko Kelan, kelan mo ako sasagutin? Lagi kong ipinagdarasal na sana ay tayong dalawa Ang iyong matamis na salita Lagi kong hinihintay Kelan mo ako sasagutin Kung hindi ngayon Kelan, kelan? Manhid ka ba? Hahayaan mo lang akong nagdurusa Kinakanta itong kantang ito ng buong puso Heto ako Kelan, kelan mo ako sasagutin? Lagi kong ipinagdarasal na sana ay tayong dalawa Ang iyong matamis na salita Lagi kong hinihintay Kelan mo ako sasagutin Kung hindi ngayon...
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The audacity of the little Davids is our only hope

That is the message of this new Lupang Hinirang music video directed by Mae Paner. Mae Paner used to do product and political advertisements. Seeking for a higher purpose in life, she now wants to advertise patriotism and nation building. The way the Loboc children's choir sang our national anthem in this music video is really good. The anthem was sang solo by a child who had that raspy whispering voice that cries innocence. That alone would make all the hairs in your body stand up. The video begins with a child finding a beaten-up Philippine flag on the ground. He then sees a flag pole which is empty. Now, he tries to climb that pole and when he gets there, he waves the flag which he found. Indeed, one of the many problems plaguing our nation is nationalism. Sure, we are very patriotic, but only some are nationalistic. Nationalism and patritiosm vary from each other greatly. The former loves his country because of what he thinks of it while the latter loves his country pe...
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Martin Sancho: The Philippines' Unsung Hero?

Did you know that las islas Filipinas would never have become if it weren't for a chico named Martin Sancho? On December 15, 1587 (a time when Spain was at the zenith of her power and only a few people had access to the world's most powerful monarch), Martin Sancho, a kapampangan walked into King Philip II's court and impressed the king and his dignitaries by reciting some prayers, the entire Church doctrine and the rest of the Catholic Catechism in perfect Spanish. Such was the amazement of King Philip that he agreed to keep the Philippines as a colony. The Spaniards were at that time thinking of abandoning the useless small colony in the far east. You see before the Suez canal opened, a Spaniard thinking of migrating to the Philippines would have to cross the Atlantic ocean to get to Nueva Espana or Mexico (much like the route from London to New York), and then from Mexico, they would cross the Pacific ocean going to the Philippines, an arduous journey that could take...
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Lurrrve it Pics of Jardin Maria Clara Lobregat in Pasonanca park, Zamboanga city

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Inside the Pasonanca park lies the Jardin Maria Clara Lobregat. Inside the newest addition to the mini attractions inside the park are various flowers native to Zamboanga city (la ciudad de flores), and a butterfly farm containing butterfly species which are also native to Zamboanga. Even though I am not physically in Zamboanga city, I do have friends over there and one of them visited the park one lazy sunny sunday. Here are pictures taken by lurrrve: Note: Pictures not taken by lurrrve were taken from this page .
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Cubao Ibabaw and Cubao Ilalim

I always had the notion that the words ibabaw and ilalim both means the same thing which is under. A few weeks later, I was introduced to a seemingly insane idea (at that time) by my officemates that ibabaw means (over or on top of and ilalim means the opposite). It was like hearing that the world is really square and not round. What triggered my puzzlement were the sign boards south-bound on EDSA. I would usually see Cubao ilalim and Cubao ibabaw signages and I am completely baffled. Don't the two mean the same thing? Alas! My office mates told me that ibabaw and ilalim are the exact opposite of each other. The former meaning over or on top and the latter meaning below or under. In Zamboanga city (I don't know if it's just me), the two words (ibabaw and ilalim) are used interchangeably. I guess this is because the words ibaba, baba, and ibabaw are ery similar to each other. Another common Tagalog mistake that I used to make all the time is using laba and hugas...
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Cuando by Comic Relief song lyrics

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I could describe Comic Relief in two words: cutting edge. Gone now are the times when all the Chabacano songs that we hear were about the place itself. We finally heard a pop song in Chabacano. What's great is that it's not just any Chabacano pop song, it's a good one too. It doesn't sound corny like the other songs that we hear and it's very modernized so the youth could very much relate to it. Pirmi kita ta oi: bueno pa el maga Bisaya, bale el maga de ila cancion. Pues, ahora tiene ya tambien kita bale canciones en Chabacano. Cuando Lyrics by Comic Relief Que tal man tu ahora? Donde anda? Libre ba tu, puede yo lleva pasea Pasencia conmigo Si bodi man yo Pero precura yo dale contigo el todo Hinde ba tu ta sinti? De jalo lang que sufri Ta canta este cancion Con todo mi corazon pati mi pensamiento Cuando, cuando contesta? Pirmi yo ta resa Que kita dos ay queda Tu dulce palabra Pirmi yo ta espera Cuando tu contesta Si hinde ahora Cunda...
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Wow Ciudad de Zamboanga! Viaje ya!

This is the winning piece in the 25th Chabacano song festival (sung and composed? by JC Dinglasa during the actual contest. This video was made by drivethru75 and the person singing in the video is Benjie A. Mahasol. This video features an edited version of Biyahe na! (a song sung in the video of DOT's tourism campaign called WOW Philippined) and photos of Zamboanga Hermosa. The following are the lyrics of the song: Quetal ustedes maga hermano y hermana Vene pasea na lugar de Zamboanga Nativo lugar del de mio nasimiento Contigo ta lleva y mira mi pueblo Pasea, mira maga diferente flores Conose maga bonita mujeres Zamboanga tu no puede olvida na pensamineto Un paramiso que yo ta ama Ya pasea ya ba uste man aire fresca na Cawa-cawa Y mira maga de colores vinta na su mar Ya subi ya ba uste na un casa arbol Senta na plaza Pershing Y subi na Abong-abong Visita na museo Ya resa ya ba uste na fortaleza del Pilar Sendi candela na su altar Por la paz na Zamboanga Vene proba maga difer...
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My Travel WIsh List

From Zamboanga city, you have two options on how to reach Manila. By plane (45 minutes) or by boat (2 days). Of course, the latter is more affordable. However, the main reason why I chose to travel by boat to Manila is the fact that I wanted to feel like I am vacationing. I wanted to see sights that I have never seen in my life. I wanted to see islands, cities, lush tropicalgreenery, and turquoise waters, Anyway, almost a year of being in Manila, the only place I have been to (really have been to) is Subic. I did not even really like Subic (at least where we went to). Of course, there have been numerous places which I have been to in passing, like Bulacan and some municipalities in Pampanga (going to Subic), Cebu (docked on its port), and oh I also have been to Cardona (and passed by other towns in Rizal like Tanay) last Christmas. If you count cities in metro Manila, well I have been to Quezon city, Manila city, Mandaluyong city, Makati city, Marikina city, and Pasay city. I feel ...
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Feed Hungry People and Become Smart!

How? It's simple. Just log on to http://www.freerice.com Free Rice is a totally new concept in ending world hunger. In partnership with the WFP, they promise to donate 20 grains of rice for each correct answer you get from their vocabulary game. This is surely a fun way of doing good to other people. And at the same time, you get smarter by doing it! Aside from English vocabulary, there are other subjects such as Maths, Geography, and Arts. To date, I have already donated 2000 grains of rice. Definitely not much, but still a contribution in fighting world hunger.
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How to Sign Up for an SSS Online Account

If you have been wondering how to set up that account in SSS to make online inquiries like loan eligibilty, and premium payments, here's a step by step guide. First go to http://www.sss.gov.ph/ Place or hover your mouse on 'My.SSS' which is one of the items in the main menu (found near 'Home' and 'Memerbership'. Then click on 'Register'. You would now be brought to a different page. Select 'Member'. You would now be brought to the application form. Be sure to fill up all the information needed. The email address part is very important, make sure it is a working email address because this is where they'll send you your password. After registering, you would be receiving 3 different emails from SSS, each with a password. You'll be confused as to which one it really is. The trick is to use the password found in the first email which was sent to you. If that doesn't work, try the latest or the last one sent to you. Another tip h...
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Smart BroKen?

When I did my research about ISPs which would be available to me, the first thing that I considered was the ease of the application process. My problem is that I still do not have any primary ID and no billing statement. When I found out that Smart Bro's requirement was just a single ID (it doesn't even have to be a primary ID), I immediately decided to go with it. It was also the only one which had good reps (at least those that I encountered) who were able to explain what I would be getting. What I noticed with other ISPs (like Destiny, PLDT, etc) were the number of complicated packages that they offered which their own reps can't even properly explain. That's mainly what turned me off about the other ISPs. With Smart Bro, there's basically just plan 999 and plan 799 for post paid and it's basically you get Internet service, that's it, no more confusing package names and requirements. After doing intensive research though, I have later which was (too late)...
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From Sunset till sunrise

That is the time that I work. Yes, I work at nights. I am not however a bad person, nor am I an antisocial. I am simply a call center agent on a graveyard shift. After being on the night shift for almost 10 months now, I am starting to feel like I am living on the American timezone. Aside from this, I am also feeling like I can't tolerate glaring sunlight anymore. You see, most of the times, I would start my shift at around 8 pm and end at 5 am. That means that I leave the house at night and arrive home just before the sun rises. In short, I don't get touched by sunlight at all. During weekdays, I would always plan to wake up at around 3 pm so that I could do my banking, pay bills, do my groceries, put out the trash, and go to the mall with my friends. Most of the times though, I couldn't bring myself to rise at that time and seeing the sun still shining outside just makes matters worst. It is as if I feel like I can't tolerate the sun anymore. This is what hap...
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CIRCULAR NO. 608 from the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas: Only 1 (one) ID needed to open an account

Yes, that's right the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas issued a circular last May this year amending the number of (and expanding the type of ) valid identification cards needed by a person to open a bank account. Supposedly, fifteen days after the date of issuance, banks should be following this new regulation. Sadly, I have yet to find a bank which follows this order from Bank Sentral ng Pilipinas . Honestly though, I don't have any idea what the functions of the BSP are and so I did some research. The official website of the BSP is a bit disappointing, it set out very vague responsibilities of the BSP . I did find that central banks (in general) have regulation and supervision powers over the banking industry and thus it brings me to question, are banks required to follow what the BSP says? The difficulty of opening a bank account is frustrating and could be costing the country quite a lot. What should have been stored in the vault of a bank (earning interest and prev...
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Zamboanga city in the eyes of the northerner

You'd be shocked at how unknown Zamboanga city is to most people in Manila. My friend thinks it is in Visayas , near Cebu. Another one thought it to be Zambales and asked me if I could speak Ilocano . Most would not even remember the name Zamboanga , what they would remember is Davao and I have to correct them most of the time that it is Zamboanga and not Davao. There are also only a few people here who seems to know about the unique dialect Chabacano in Zamboanga city. I guess you can't blame them. The only time that they hear about Zamboanga city is when there is a bomb that goes off in the city or there is war in the southernmost tip of the Philippines. Some people even see to think that Zamboanga city is as big as a little barangay . I remember chatting with a person and she said that she heard that a bomb exploded in the city and asked me if I was okay and I was like, why wouldn't I be. I mean the chances of a little bomb affecting many is little. It's...
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I am turning into an American...

The American shopper is easy to persuade. If you know how, you can make him buy what he doesn’t even want or need. That’s what I learned during crash training in sales for my call centre job. The trick is to be confident, and always always recommend. That is the key word. Americans are looking for an expert. They want someone who’s going to tell them that this is what you need and this is what you should want. When Americans go shopping, their minds aren’t usually made up as to what to buy and the American salesman knows this. This is why he would be recommending to the customer what he should buy. The American (if he’s ready to make the purchase) would more likely than not make the purchase. Here is the typical shopping scene in a Filipino shoe store. Customer (After looking around): I want this one at size ____. Sales person: Okay, I’ll check if we have availability. Sales person: Okay, here it is. Customer (after trying the shoes on): Okay, I’ll take this one. Meanwhile, he...
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Dealing with Politics in a Call Center

Before I went to Manila, I researched a lot about call centers. The most prevalent reason why attrition rate in call centers is very high is politics. Like my friend said, where there is money, there is politics. I have come to prove this when I entered the industry upon arriving in Manila. What made things worse is that the account I work for is a sales account and so not only is politics present but the account is mulled by corruption as well. I hear a lot of rumors about the account managers taking money which was supposed to go the agents. And then add to that those occasional power trippers and you have all the ingredients which can make an agent feel so dissatisfied. But of course, what's an office without politics. So for you to be able to better handle these things, here are my suggestions: 1. Friends, friends, and more friends I can't stress enough how important it is not to be a loner in this industry. When the going gets tough and the people starts to bunch...
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The Boat is Sinking II

It started one fine day. Everybody thought it was just gonna be another boring day in their lives. The thermometer read 22.6 C, the rest of the country sleeping and a few agents were engaged in a call. Yes, everyone thought it was gonna be just another boring day in their call center job. Something was not right however. Something very wrong was about to happen. The team leader of the top team on the floor was nowhere to be found. Everybody went on though with their boring work thinking that the entire week was gonna be just another boring week. A week past though, several rumours have emerged and that was the beginning of the end. The account supervisor of the account which I work for was actually the girlfriend of our team leader and this person encountered some problems with her constituents. This resulted to the supervisor's suspension which made the team leader abandon his post (with permission). The top team's morale was really low during those days. A lot of nega...
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Pinoy Idol Vs. Philippine Idol: A Comparison

Pinoy Idol Vs. Philippine Idol: A Comparison Judges and Judging Ryan Cayabyab, Pilita Corales, and Francis Magalona sat as judges in Philippine Idol while it is Wyngard Tracy, Jolina Magdangal, and Ogie Alcasid. Noticeably, Philippine Idol judges are more heavyweight and credible than that of Pinoy Idols. It has been noted though by most people that the Pinoy Idol judges make more sense in giving criticisms on the idol wannabes performance. Pilita’s comments on the idol’s performance were always sugar coated and probably made the idol wannabes very lax. Francis Magalona’s capability as a judge goes beyond poor in quality. Ryan Cayabyab meanwhile always offered a reality check for the contestants. In Pinoy Idol though, all three judges always give out constructive criticisms Contestants For me, the contestants of Pinoy Idol do not compare to those of Philippine Idol. The Philippine Idol contestants match the profile of the average American Idol contestant, while the contestants ...
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Miguel Mendoza in Pinoy Dream Academy!

Yes, you read right. Miguel Mendoza from Philippine Idol is now in Pinoy Dream Academy. The idol hopeful was on the top 4 of Philippine Idol and was battered with a lot of criticisms over his ability as a singer. Now, Miguel is in another reality talent show (and again ) with one of the judges from Philippine Idol, Ryan Cayabyab. It would be fascinating to watch what kind of interaction would take place between the two given their past. Another thing to watch for would be whether Miguel Mendoza has already improved on his singing. In Philippine Idol, the judges kept on telling him that he is too young for the competition and his voice is not yet 'ready'. He is now 18, and we shall see whether the increase in his age would mean an increase in his singing prowess. Pinoy Dream Academy airs every weekdays at 9:30 PM (now defunct).
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On the rise: Anti Americanism in the Philippines

There is increased hatred for Americans in the world today, especially among Arabs. This hatred is coming from a middle east which is increasingly embracing radical Islamism and its teachings. However, would you believe me if I tell you that Anti Americanism also exists in the Philippines? This new found hatred sources from some people who talk with Americans everyday over the phone. Yes, there is increasing hatred for Americans and ironically, they are coming from call centre agents. I have a friend who (after working for five years in a big hospital in Manila) was finally granted the chance to work in the US. For most Filipinos nurses or Filipinos in general, this is the epitome of success. This friend, while processing her papers, decided to work in a call centre (not just to earn some money while out of work but also to improve her English). When she finally was finished with the processing of her papers, she admitted that she finds working in the USA not that attractive anym...
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Providence

It is four o clock in the morning. Right now, I am thinking whether I should be moving to another house. You see, my landlady here is complaining about the spike in her electricity consumption the following month. She was wanting me to pay the difference between her usual and her current consumption. This got me to think that I should just move to another house. In the process, I found myself very reserved in trying to come up with a decision. This is just contrary to the way I made decisions and how quickly I acted on them in the first few months that I was here. There were numerous events in my life which led me to go on this suicide mission. I remember telling my mom that I would like to go to Manila and take up medical transcribing back when I was a sophomore in college. Of course, my request was denied. At the very first few times that I went on duty at the health centres and hospitals in Zamboanga, I already knew that I do not want to be a nurse. I chewed up third year like...
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My Western Union Nightmare

It happened when I stated earning money from Google Adsense. Adsense gave an option to its publishers to get their earnings via Western Union. In the past, the only option was by check which is sent through DHL (which was quite expensive) or the post office (which gets your check lost or steals it). The news that the Western Union option is already available to get your earnings sent a wave of cheer to all Adsense publishers. I too was thrilled at the news. However, I was disappointed with the people at the Western Union branches. They are very stiff and not at all customer oriented. I claimed my initial payment from Adsense from an RCPI in Zamboanga city. When I was there, I was able to use my student ID to claim my payment however when I got here, I was informed that there had been a change in their policies. I apparently had to show 2 Ids to claim payment and what’s worse was that I do not have any of the IDs that they were accepting. I had no TIN ID, no SSS ID, nada. I was redu...
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No More Voices

There was a time in my life when I heard voices inside my head. I knew even then that they were part of my defense mechanism which tried to subside the depression and the loneliness I used to feel. At night, I couldn’t go to sleep because of those voices. I remember engulfing my head with a pillow that was a pathetic attempt to drown them out. I forgot who said it, but I do believe someone famous said that we all are neurotic and/or psychotic to a certain level. I’m not one of those people. You could say that my condition was already extreme for romanticization. I guess it all started when I entered high school. Back then I was made to go to a school which was supposedly for the gifted. Unfortunately, my talents were not as broad as the school required from a student. Those were four hellish years in my life. I was no good at math and science which were the primary focus of that school’s curriculum. I guess the pressure really got to me. We studied masteral level math which made ...
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How to Verify your PayPal Philippines account with Union Bank EON Cyber account

The best way to get your Paypal Philippines account verified is through the Union Bank EON cyber account. Union bank's EON is actually a Visa debit card. Unless you have a credit card (or are willing to go through the process to get one), this would be the most effective way to get your PP account verified. The good thing about applying for the EON account is that it is so easy. You just have to apply online and specify which Union bank branch you would like to pick your card up and about a week later, voila, the card is already at the branch. Just be sure to bring 550 pesos with you to the bank when you do pick your card up. 350 pesos would be for the annual fee and 200 pesos for Paypal's verification process. After filling up the forms, just inform the teller (or whoever is assisting you) that you would also be depositing 200 pesos. This would take no less than 15 minutes actually. Just go to the bank at around 9 AM so that there wouldn't be many people yet. Now you ...
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No more short orders!

When I moved from Balintawak to another part of Quezon City, the first thing that I did was to look for a good carinderia. You see, I am a person who loves to eat and thus it is important for me to be able to have a carinderia which I would be able to frequent and which suits my needs. Suiting my needs would mean: good food, good price, good customer service and good ambiance. After a few days of searching and trying, I was able to find one. The food is almost good. The price is great. The ambiance is okay (at least better than most carinderias (this one looks almost like a restaurant). What I love about this particular place is that it allows me to eat good food at a low price. I could actually eat two dishes (one which consists of vegetables like pakbet and one which consists of meat like adobo) at only 30 pesos (and that is with rice included). The customer service is also really good and the people there would really make you feel at home. Anyway, these past few days my carinde...
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A taste of Manila

Yesterday my wallet was snatched while I was on a bus. It happened in a blink of an eye that I only realized it when I was already at the bus stop. My first thought was (upon realizing that I was robbed) was: Man, they are good! You see I have been living all of my life in Zamboanga city, a place which does not house top notch snatchers. In that city, I would quickly notice when someone is trying to dig in my pocket or my bag. But man, the snatchers here are something else! I never felt a thing and didn't even realize that my wallet was gone until a minute and a half later. Luckily, my wallet just contained two 20 peso bills and some coins. Not that big I know, but still hard earned money. Inside my wallet is also my TIN ID and my Medicard card which is such an inconvenience because now I would have to find out how I go about requesting for another medicard card and TIN ID. When I first arrived here in Manila, I was always alert and aware of everything that is happening aroun...
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