Si Tanda, Si Sexy, at Si Pogi

Have you heard the latest about the Pork Barrel Scam?  These are the codenames of senators who are allegedly linked to the pork barrel scam of Janet Napoles.  Tanda is Enrile, Sexy is Estrada, and Pogi is Revilla.  Read news here.

When I was still in college, I worked as a Student Assistant under IMSP, CAS (Institute of Mathematical Science and Physics of College of Arts and Science).  It was one of the happiest moments of my college days.  When I report to work, I would just sit down and make kwento to the Titas and Titos.  My favorite Tito, Tito Greg, would download games for me to play to shoo away boredom.  Since I’m the only player in those games, I would be listed under Best Scores.  The name I always put is: GANDA.

Imagine my surprise when I played the following day with another person beating my top score.  And who would be it?  Si POGI.   I investigated who POGI was.  It was none other than my boss, the Head of the Department that time (no name dropping, baka magalit si Sir). 

Filipinos just love using codes.  And not just some codes.  We love using positive adjectives that we thought describes us most.  It’s just odd that Enrile chose “Tanda”.  He should have chosen "Macho" ahahaha :D (peace Manong Johnny).

 Ciao!

Baby Neo's Mama

The Advantages of Working in a Call Center

I worked for the BPO industry (or call center as a lot of people use to call it) for almost 6 years.  No, I wasn’t an agent.  I was part of the Workforce group.  I have collated some the advantages of working in a BPO industry in my perspective.  There may be more to this list but in my opinion, these are part what I was happy about working in that industry.

Just a trivia, I tried applying as an agent but was not successful.  Maybe, I am not good at English speaking.  The funny part was, I was accepted as a part of the workforce team.

Ø  TimeZone Difference – a lot of people would say this is not an advantage, but I beg to disagree.  Yes, your body clock is not normal but you also get to avoid rush hours.  No need makipagbalyahan sa pakikipagsiksikan sa pagsakay; no traffic.  And you can do all your errands like banking, getting IDs, because it’s your rest time during regular office hours.

Ø  Salary and Wages – well, this is a no brainer.  I’d admit the salary I have now is like a sale of my salary before – 50% off!

Ø  Multitasking – You will know the true meaning of this word once you work in a call center. 

Ø  Meeting a Lot of People of Different Nationalities – not a lot of Filipinos will say they were able to meet different people from different countries.  When you work in a call center, they are everywhere in the workplace.  From American, to European, to Canadian, even South Africans.  These people are the bosses, the clients, and the guests.

Ø  English Speaking Prowess – and since you’ll be meeting and serving these nationalities, you will be trained to be good in speaking English.  And not just the language, but the accent in all different areas. (kaya hindi ko maintindihan bakit minamaliit ni Mamita ang aking English-speaking skills <confused>)

Ø  Self-Control – it’s not a secret that the BPO industry has a lot of BAWAL.  They are not lenient on violators – meaning a violation of a rule would mean a sanction.  No cellphones on production floor, no bags allowed, no chatting, no internet browsing, no whatsoever.  You will learn to exercise self-control in this industry.  Being part of the Workforce team, I was exempted on some BAWAL rules, but still there are some I need to follow.

Ø  On Time – You know the phrase: Filipino Time?  Which we always connote as LATE. In the call center industry, when they say meeting starts at 8AM, the meeting will really start at 8AM with or without you.  You will have login time, break time, lunch time, logout time – which should be followed ON TIME.

These are just some advantages of working in a call center.  For you guys who work in the same industry, can you share some things you like and love working in a call center?

Photos from Google.

The Confusion

When I was still pregnant with Neo, everybody thought that I’ll be having a baby girl (except for Leo, who prays for a little boy).  My nose was not enlarged, not so dark armpits, not patusok na belly, and a lot more pamahiin-that-you’re-with-a-baby-girl.  People are saying: you’re carrying a girl. 

Then come Dec 8, 2011, I gave birth to a handsome baby boy.  His complexion is fair, thus he is easily mistaken as a girl.  Now look at the below pictures and tell me if you agree with the confusion.

Wearing a nice headband when we were vacationing at Cagayan.

I bought this spaghetti strap sandos thinking I was having a baby girl.  Sayang naman if we don’t use it :P

This dress is a gift from Lola Bebing’s officemate for Neo's 1st birthday since she thought Neo is a girl when she first saw him.