After the native language Tagalog, fluency in English as a second language has been the edge of Filipino call center agents compared to other outsourcing destinations for voice-related services. In fact, in recent years more and more call center companies have found that moving operations to a Philippine site provided better value for the customers and increased the quality of their interactions with customers solely because Filipinos have a better understanding of American culture and more neutral-sounding accent compared to other nationalities. Because the Philippines had been a former commonwealth of the U.S., the English language has been integrated in the educational system and for a long time been the medium of instruction for schools.
The Spanish language, although still taught in some schools and universities, have become less popular and only taught as an elective subject. After centuries of colonial occupation by Spain, many Filipinos back in the early 20th century felt getting rid of the Spanish language in society is a great way to promote nationalism.
However, those centuries of Spanish rule made a lasting mark in the Filipino culture particularly in language and more specifically dialects in the Southern part of the Philippines. A Spanish-based creole language called Chavacano is still widely spoken by millions of Filipinos in the south particularly in the Zamboanga province which makes them a perfect destination for outsourcers looking for Spanish-speaking call center agents.
BPO and call center companies in Mindanao mainly in Davao city have steadily grown their business solely due to the fact that operational costs in the southern part of the Philippines are considerably lower compared to a more Metropolitan area like Manila. However, my gut instincts tell me only a handful to none of these organizations has taken advantage of the "Spanish" speaking talent pool of the Chavacanos.
Zamboanga City, a predominantly Christian province has its share of well-qualified college graduates who are tri-lingual (Tagalog, English and Chavacano) with focus being on the Chavacano language it is their local dialect. Apart from comparably lower cost to operate in this part of the world. The Chavacano language, with most of its dialect words derived from Spanish, should give Zamboanga call centers an edge in landing contracts with companies requiring a pool of Spanish-speaking call center agents.
They have already started. Recently, I have gotten in touch with a person connected with one of these BPO companies in Zamboanga and he is interested in connecting with organization or individuals who require a pool of qualified Spanish-speaking call center agents to provide good customer service for the Spanish or Latino-speaking customer base. Interested parties can contact me here so I can connect you with him.
1 comments here!:
There is a common misconception among many Filipinos that Spanish language and Chavacano are mutually intelligible, but they are not. It is true that Chavacano has a lot of Spanish words, but their grammatical structures are entirely different.
A native Spanish speaker may understand a Chavacano speaker who mentions some simple Spanish words and phrases like muy grande, but they usually do not understand each other in even a simple conversation.
I applied at a Spanish call center with several Chavacano-speaking applicants, and none of them passed the Spanish interview. Also, there was a call center that tried to hire Chavacanos to be given a one-month training in Spanish, but they stopped doing it anymore, because it usually takes months or years to be conversational in a language. On the other hand, I've heard Chavacano applicants who studied Spanish, and they pass the Spanish interviews, but they are still struggling to understand native Spanish speakers when they take in calls.
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