The Bangon Philippine Outsourcing, Inc. (BPO) Partylist will make a historic attempt to represent the call center workers, IT professionals, online freelancers, and the rest of those in the BPO Industry in the forthcoming 2022 May elections.
It marks for the first time since the partylist election was first contested in the country's political arena in 1998 that a group will carry BPO's banner.
BPO Partylist is a sectoral party that advocates the promotion, development, sustainability, support and advancement of the Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM), Countryside Development, Startups and Online Filipino Workers in the Philippines.
As one of the biggest contributors in the country's economic growth and prosperity for the past three decades now, the industry leaders strongly feel that it's high time for them to have a one, unified voice in the halls of Philippine Congress.
It's a daunting task that needs to be carried out by someone who does not only knows the issues and concerns of the BPO family, but also understands and tries to meet the needs of the members of his group.
MAN FOR THE JOB
Tough and challenging as it may seem, there's a perfect man for that job - Mike Cubos, the President and First Nominee of BPO Partlylist.
Rising from the ranks, the 38-year-old Cubos is cognizant of the ins and outs of the business. The thing of beauty is that the young and dynamic entrepreneur comes from small beginnings before carving his own niche in the BPO Industry.
Growing up from a very poor family in his hometown Davao, Cubos yearns to have a better life. Driven by that desire, he's been into different jobs, from being a fast food crew to a sales clerk at a mall and telemarketer at a hotel, to support himself in college.
Life even gets harder for Cubos when his family moved to Cebu after his graduation. Jobless for six months, he tried any kind of work just to get by, becoming a credit card agent and selling membership cards of a resort over the phone.
Then came his journey in the BPO Industry, and he walked through it the hard way. He first applied for a call center center company, Sykes Asia, but was turned down several times because he could not speak English fluently at that time. But a career-oriented individual that he is, Cubos worked hard and persevered until he got everything right and was hired.
"It took me six months to get hired because my English is not good that time. My computer knowledge is not good as well because I studied MassCom in college. It's more on talking and less on computer, not techy. I failed many times. I think I applied four times until I get hired," Cubos shared.
He eventually ventured into online freelancing where he thrived most and found a fortune. After toiling hard for eight years in BPO, Cubos has evolved from an unknown call center agent to a big boss in call center companies he founded - the Performance 360 Solutions Inc. in Davao and the Performance 360 Global Services in Cordova, Cebu. He is among the few Filipinos call center owners that has braved the BPO industry which is dominated by foreign companies. He now employs hundreds of Filipinos all over the country giving them better lives.
DESTINED TO BE A LEADER
Founder and CEO of various technology companies, Cubos was recipient of the prestigious The Outstanding Cebuano Award (TOCA) award in the field of Entrepreneurship in 2016. He served as Chairman of the Cebu Business Month (CBM), an annual event of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), for two consecutive years from 2020 to 2021.
Cubos is an innovator, so well versed in technology, apps, innovations, countryside development, and community welfare among other vital elements in the BPO world.
Aside from possessing leadership characteristics, Cubos is self-motivated. A multi-sport enthusiast, hard work, discipline, and diligence are deeply entrenched in his being as a triathlete. Above all, his dedication goes beyond the responsibility bestowed upon him as reflected in his impressive track record.
Cubos gamely accepted that there are a lot of capable industry leaders but he is best suited as mouthpiece of the BPO family in the House of Representatives because of his hands-on experience, which is extremely valuable in the government post he is aspiring for. That makes Cubos a great candidate and a cut above the rest.
"What we need is a real representation, a person coming from the industry," Cubos said. "From that perspective, I know what it's like to be a call center agent, an IT worker, an online freelancer, and I'm also an employer."
"I know every aspect of the industry. I have hands-on experience and knowledge on each of the stakeholder. I a more grounded and balanced. That is very essential if we are crafting on laws for the best interest of the BPO Industry and for the good of both the employers and the workforce. We need that kind of balance and sustainability for the industry," Cubos continued.
Once successful in their ground-breaking campaign come the local and national polls three months from now, Cubos pledged to formulate and enact appropriate laws for the best interest and general welfare of all those in the outsourcing industry.
"As they say, do not promise what you can't give," said Cubos. "But we can assure everyone that once given the chance to serve, we will move heaven and earth for the benefit and advantage of the industry and the only way to achieve that is to push for our platforms."
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