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Zamboanga will no longer hide under the auspices of an out-of-town success story that is founded on the very special skills and unique qualities of its own citizen workers - the Zamboangueños!

Zamboanga demands that it gets its fair share of the Call Center business in the Philippines!

Zamboanga is the #1 recruiting location for majority of the call centers in the Philippines because of its first-class rated human resources pool! The Zamboangueños who are recruited by call centers from all over the country are in demand for their excellent education and more importantly - their command of the English language! Spanish is also a reason for their being in demand because of their ancient Spanish-Creole language: Chavacano!

The Zamboangueños speak English - the American English! - better than any other Philippine city! We speak Chavacano - a Castilian Spanish-based Creole that's 70-80% Castilian Spanish! Si!!!

It is because the majority Tagalog English spoken in Luzon is one of the least proper diction-enunciated English used in the Philippines, along with the second majority Cebuano or Bisaya. This is a cultural fact and is not meant to pick on its speakers. This is the major reason why call center recruiters are having a hard time finding qualified applicants who speak Tagalog or Bisaya. However, they have NO PROBLEM recruiting the Chavacanos from Zamboanga City because they speak the American English and can get by with understanding and being understood in Spanish! Hola!

As a result of the Zamboangueños speaking Chavacano as their main local language, their diction is much closer to that of a European enunciation. It is also a strong reflection of their steadfast adherence, or dedication, to the American English from its close and endearing ties to the Normal School teachings that has endured over a century and continues to be the basis of all local public and most private schools. Tagalog was enforced into the local school system by Marcos during his martial law regime, but has been scorned and is waning in its adherence. Speakers of the national language are mostly influenced by commerce and social stimuli. Most of the good paying jobs are in Luzon and anyone from there who comes to live or visit in Zamboanga do not or cannot learn the Chavacano language of Zamboanga, while the Zamboangueños have no difficulty in grasping the Tagalog. Zamboanga's history as an ancient international trading outpost has brought numerous languages into the city and many languages are currently spoken by its citizens amongst each other. The Zamboangueños speak at least 3-4 languages almost simultaneously while they are growing up and their language-learning skills are one of the best in the country, if not the best, for call centers business!

Locate your Call Center business in Zamboanga now and take full advantage of one of the best business tax incentives in the country!

As a bonus to your doing so, we will welcome you into the #1 GDP growth area in the country -an unbelievable 7.2% in 2005! Wow! C'mon down, now!

We will help you if you will help us. Together, we will succeed as partners in the ever critical Call Center service industry that is increasingly being relegated outside the United States and other English-speaking countries of the West. Zamboangueños are poised to meet and exceed those challenges and expectations. We are over 700,000 strong! Let us help you!

Zamboangueños are not stopping at just English... the City government and the entire city's school system is gearing itself to expand its Spanish-speaking capacity in order to service the ever larger Spanish-speaking consumers in Latin America and Europe. As the ONLY Spanish-Creole speaking City in ALL of Asia, the Chavacano-speaking Zamboangueños are dipping into their cultural reservoir of over 371 years of Castilian-influence from its founders from Spain, Mexico, and Peru.

Bienvenidos a todos hermanos y hermanas. Nuestra casa es su casa aqui en Zamboanga, el Ciudad de Flores! Buena suerte!

Zamboangueños are #1 in The Philippines!!!

Monday, August 07, 2006
Zamboanga tops Call Center applicant-passers
by: Cheng Ordonez & Bong Garcia - Sunstar Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA City has registered the highest passing rate of call center applicants based on the latest interview that was conducted by an American call center company, even as the first batch of the near-hires complete their 100-hour training this week.

Of the 140 applicants, 48 passed the interviews conducted orally and by phone by G-Com Ltd. (Asia Pacific) from July 29 to August 1, representing a passing rate of 34 percent.

A labor official disclosed that the city's passing rate is higher than the recorded national passing rate nationwide at five percent and their record in Davao at 12 percent.

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Director Chita Cilindro attributed the high passing rate to employment promotions efforts, which include orientation for pre-selected applicants, done by DOLE personnel Lorminda Roxas and Public Employment Service Officer (PESO) Francisco Barredo with the help of PESO staff Lourdes Francisco.

Cilindro said that G-Com has 63 near-hires, who were referred to the Technical Education for Skills Development Authority (TESDA) so they can avail of short-term scholarship through the PGMA training-for-work coupons.

She said the near-hires will attend a brief English language course in any of six local TESDA training schools accredited to conduct the course.

Jovita de Jesus, center manager of E-World Career Centre, Corp., where at least 18 of the near-hires took 100 hours of selected brief courses, said the applicants took up communications skills, listening skills, language neutralization, telephone manners, customer service, and computer literacy program.

Jerry Lajo, 41, a near-hire from Southcom village, accentuates the Zamboangueño tongue for Spanish accent as reason for the high passing rates.

Twenty-four year old Mary Grace Francisco, of Lorenzo Heights, Putik, Zamboanga City, said most of them are prepared to go to Davao to work. "If the company (G-Com) will put up a (call) center here in Zamboanga, then it's okay. Davao or elsewhere -- we are ready to go after this training."

This high acceptance rate increased the number of Zamboanga residents as call center agents and firmed up G-Com's decision to set up a call center in this city, which management said would require at least 600 square meters of space, initially, to house some 150 seats.

G-Com is eyeing to have their branch in this city operational by November of this year.

The American-owned company, which has its base in Davao City, will have an initial 450 employees once it will start its operation here.

(August 7, 2006 issue)

Tuesday, September 05, 2006
American-run call center here in December (2006)
By Bong Garcia - Sunstar Zamboanga

The American-owned call center company based in Davao City known as G-Com is definitely setting up a branch in Zamboanga City.

The Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) Company has promised to immediately place the fiber optic line, which is needed in putting up a call center.

Councilor Juan Climaco Elago II said G-Com company executives wanted the call center that they intend to put in this city be operational by December this year.

Elago said that once operational, G-Com will employ 450 call center agents for its initial operations.

He said each of the call center agents will receive a minimum P10,000 monthly salary plus other benefits.

Zamboanga City has been the source of call center agents for G-Com's branches in Davao and Pampanga since the time the company started operations in the country.

(September 5, 2006 issue)

Locate your call center's corporate headquarters in Zamboanga City now and avoid any future problems you have been experiencing in other locations. This is a very easy decision to make and one that makes great financial sense!

With the unique qualifications of the Zamboangueños for call center-specific needs, your call center operations could easily expand to a few thousand locally-qualified call center operators.

You get two birds with one stone from all Zamboangueños - English and Spanish at once, all for the price of one! Wow!

Zamboanga City has been at peace with itself for over three centuries! It's safer than many neighborhoods in L.A. or N.Y.

The nay Sayers have a reason why they cry wolf on Zamboanga - it's because there's no wolf! And the more they cry... the more your company looses money and capacity to fulfill your call center requirement.

Zamboanga's truth does not lie to your company - just come on down. We are ready for you.