The re-election victory of the US President Barack Obama has dominate apprehensions that the US Congress may finally commend a bill which would decline the flourishing Business Process Outsourcing industry in the Philippines.
Harry K. Thomas Jr. said that the job of President Obams is same as President Aquino, to provide jobs to Americans just as Aquino want to provide jobs for Filipinos. He said this when he asked about the Bring Jobs Home bill sponsored by Democrats Sen Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. Base to the latest election results, the democrats hold a narrow majority in the US Senate. The Republicans control the House of Representatives.
Earlier this year, the bill was among to-do-list for COngress that Obama unveiled. In reaching the debating stage, Senate Republicans prevented the measure. The bill also is opposed by some large US business groups.
According to newspapers accounts, the Bring Jobs Home Act would provide a 20% tax break for the costs of moving jobs back to the United States and it would rescind business expense deductions available to companies that are associated with the cost of moving operations overseas.
The President of the Business Processing Association of the Philippines, Bendict Hernandez says that the information technology BPO industry is one of the country’s economic pillars, employing 493,000 Filipinos and it is expected to grow to 567,000 in the year 2012. He said that the industry is one of the most aggressive and advance sectors and its growth in the last six years was five times higher than the average employment growth in the country. For him, this means that the employments opportunities in the voice industry is more lucrative compared with the other industries.
Executive Director of Contact Center Association of the Philippines, Jojo Uligan said that the BPO’s voice sector was also better paying than other sectors.Uligan said that an entry level position that typically requires a fresh college graduate or undergraduate can have a basic monthly salary of about P12,000 to P13,000. This is 38% higher than the basic minimum of P9,000.
In Obama’s victory, opportunities for Filipinos expecially to new graduates may be coming to an en if the US President pursues the passage of the Bring Jobs Home bill. Obama was criticized for being unable to provide jobs to some 3 million Americans during the campaign which partly explains his narrow victory over Gov. Mitt Romney. Most Americans have suggested to Obama to bring back factories and jobs that have been outsourced to other countries, especially to India, China, Philippines and other countries.
Ambassador Thomas made the statements during the 2012 US Election Watch which he presided over at the SM North Edsa in Quezon City. The students from various universities in Manila, World War II veterans, officials of Quezon City hall and members of the media where invited to the occasion.
There were 2,300 participated in mock election and the result showed that 74 percent voted for Obama, while 24 percent went for Gov. Mitt Romney. Ambassador Thomas said that there were other benefits for Filipinos of Obama’s re-election. He said that it’s a demonstration of democracy, the importance of democracy, how democracy is better than any form of government, despite its warts.
He also added that the Philippines is right to have a democracy, adding that there were 30 Filipino-American running for office in this American election. According to him, this is not happening in other countries, they share with the Philippines a privilege that unfortunately most people around the world do not have, the right to freely choose their leaders.
Thomas said that the right has come at a high cost, paid by million of Americans through the centuries, who fought and died for the right. He said that Nathan Hale, a hero of the American Revolution who reportedly said that he have one regret and that is he only have one life to give to his country.
Filipinos also have one such personality, Ninoy Aquino who said, “Filipino is worth dying for”. “Today that commitment to freedom continues, you all demonstrated that during People Power at Edsa.
Ambassador thank the Filipinos for donating P10 million to the victims of Superstorm Sandy. He said that his mother was also a victim of the superhowler.
When Obama became apparent, Thomas said that now its tome for America to leave the rhetoric behind and get to work for the good of the country. He said that he was proud to continue working for Obama and would also have been proud to work for Romney.
REFERENCE:
http://tcdn04.abs-cbnnews.com/business/11/07/12/obama-win-seen-affect-local-bpos
