Things we lost during the flood
All the office furniture downstairs. They were made of wood pulp and were really not built to withstand flooding such as what Typhoon Ondoy brought. All the books downstairs. Some legal papers, but replaceable. A couple of electric fans. A few note books, bits and pieces of paper to which we committed scribblings that were for a time not meant to be forgotten, but were. A few other things that we really didn’t mind losing.
A lot of other people in other areas lost a lot more. I am not complaining, just making an inventory.
Kitchen convenience
Now that we’ve completed the requirements the insurance company needs for the flood repairs that our house needs, it should only be a matter of time before we can start reconstruction work on the house. One of things I’m looking at are industrial handles to replace the puny ones on the cupboards and cabinets in the kitchen. Industrial handles are usually shaped like a U of some kind. The idea is to have a strong, securely attached device that won’t slip out of your hands easily.
I find that especially useful in the kitchen, where I tend to grab on handles with hands wet from the kitchen faucet. Wouldn’t that be nifty to have in the kitchen?
The trials and travails of a weight watch-me-not
When you get to be my age things tend to go haywire. Especially my weight. There are times when a little food makes me put on pounds just by looking at them. Then again there are times when I eat about five times a day and not feel the tightness when I button my pants. And I’m not even taking diet supplements as of yet.
Then again, my dad once said that once he hit 60, his diet changed. He didn’t seem to need as much food per meal as he used to, and he had radically cut down on his meat intake. I wish I had as much discipline. And I really need to look into packing lunch from home as well. Not only it will be cheaper in the long run for me, I would also be able to avoid all the salty fastfood I’ve been chucking down my throat at lunchtime every working day.
Boon or Bane?
My eldest son works at a call center in Cebu. That call centers have been branching out into the Visayas is a good thing for him. A few years ago we thought he had to leave home and go to Manila to find work.
While call centers may be fueling the Philippine economy and providing accessible jobs for young Filipinos, Pinoypress.com recently featured an article by IBON Features that implies the future may not all be that good for the industry.
What this means for the Philippines is that US clients, hard-hit by the economic slowdown, may negotiate for cheaper contracts with local BPO companies. Contact call center operators may opt to protect their profits by cutting down on salaries and benefits of their employees. They may also opt for contractualization or hiring their workers on short-term contract basis to reduce operation costs. This is especially so as there may eventually be a glut of call center workers due to concerted government and private-sector efforts to employ more call center agents to meet demand.
Is the Call Center Industry a Bright Spot for New Graduates?
About Me
