English is the Key to Succeed in Philippine Call Centers and Other Industries

No one can argue that English is the global language. With all its more than 2 billion speakers, English has spread its influence in almost all parts of society and in every crevice and corners of the world. The Philippines is never spared from this avowal to English despite the presence of Filipino, our national language. Our acceptance of English is deeply rooted in our history from the colonization of the Philippines by the Americans in 1898 and to coming of the first American public school teachers called the Tomasites in 1901. Moreover, its reign is further magnified as seen in the growing demand for English language competence as part of one’s employability especially in Philippine call centers. It is a strong means of maintaining business and international connections and in being abreast with recent technological and scientific advancement. In our day and age, producing a thriving economy is closely linked with our ability to communicate with the rest of the world. Indeed, this language functions as a trump card to gain access to competitive career opportunities in the call center industry in the Philippines.

However, the compounded conundrums brought about by the reign of English as a second language, the constant fight to standardize the Filipino language, and the undeniable fact that our country has very diverse languages and dialects, present a quandary for both educational and BPO corporate institutions. The alarming decline of Filipinos’ proficiency in English forced the government to fully implement the 1987 Bilingual Education Policy, which notes that “for purposes of communication and instruction, the official language of the Philippines are Filipino, and until otherwise provided by law, English” (Article XIV Sec. 7 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution). The government’s strong stance to support profitable enterprises that require more skilled and English-proficient workforce like the BPO and Philippine call centers further emphasized the importance of English communication competence.

The language issue is so intense that almost all fields of work and not include English proficiency as a prime criterion in hiring or in some cases, in retaining and promoting people already in their industry. Gone are the days when anyone, even without much knowledge of the language, may be accepted in call center jobs. In our modern time, without having the required level of English proficiency, one may never get that dream job with that dream company. One may never get the chance to drive that dream car or live in that dream house. One may never get the chance to advance in the professional ladder. This might seem farfetched to some, but it just plainly demonstrates the power that English has over us.

Aside from Philippine call centers, more and more corporate institutions in the country have undertaken measures to Learning and mastering the English language should never cease at the same time as one graduates from college. It should never be considered as something outside of our culture, but a part of our society, our lives and our existence. It should be embraced, owned, and enriched as it is important to be a part of the global community and not fall deeper into the English-deprived abyss.