The Bangon Philippine Outsourcing, Inc. (BPO) Partylist will make a historic attempt to represent the callΒ center workers, IT professionals, online freelancers, and the rest of those in the BPO Industry in the forthcomingΒ 2022 May elections.
It marks for the first time since the partylist election was first contested in the country’s political arena inΒ 1998 that a group will carry BPO’s banner.
BPO Partylist is a sectoral party that advocates the promotion, development, sustainability, support andΒ advancement of the Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM), Countryside Development,Β Startups and Online Filipino Workers in the Philippines.
As one of the biggest contributors in the country’s economic growth and prosperity for the past threeΒ decades now, the industry leaders strongly feel that it’s high time for them to have a one, unified voice in the halls ofΒ Β Philippine Congress.
It’s a daunting task that needs to be carried out by someone who does not only knows the issues andΒ concerns of the BPO family, but also understands and tries to meet the needs of the members of his group.
MAN FOR THE JOB
Tough and challenging as it may seem, there’s a perfect man for that job – Mike Cubos, the President andΒ First Nominee of BPO Partlylist.
Rising from the ranks, the 38-year-old Cubos is cognizant of the ins and outs of the business. The thing ofΒ beauty is that the young and dynamic entrepreneur comes from small beginnings before carving his own niche in theΒ BPO Industry.
Growing up from a very poor family in his hometown Davao, Cubos yearns to have a better life. Driven byΒ that desire, he’s been into different jobs, from being a fast food crew to a sales clerk at a mall and telemarketer at a hotel, to support himself in college.
Life even gets harder for Cubos when his family moved to Cebu after his graduation. Jobless for sixΒ months, he tried any kind of work just to get by, becoming a credit card agent and selling membership cards of aΒ resort over the phone.
Then came his journey in the BPO Industry, and he walked through it the hard way. He first applied for aΒ call center center company, Sykes Asia, but was turned down several times because he could not speak EnglishΒ fluently at that time.Β But a career-oriented individual that he is, Cubos worked hard and persevered until he got everything right and was hired.
“It took me six months to get hired because my English is not good that time. My computer knowledge isΒ not good as well because I studied MassCom in college. It’s more on talking and less on computer, not techy. I failedΒ many times. I think I applied four times until I get hired,” Cubos shared.
He eventually ventured into online freelancing where he thrived most and found a fortune. After toilingΒ hard for eight years in BPO, Cubos has evolved from an unknown call center agent to a big boss in call centerΒ companies he founded –Β the Performance 360 Solutions Inc. in Davao and the Performance 360 Global Services inΒ Cordova, Cebu. He is among the few Filipinos call center owners that has braved the BPO industry which isΒ dominated byΒ foreign companies. He now employs hundreds of Filipinos all over the country giving them better lives.
DESTINED TO BE A LEADER
Founder and CEO of various technology companies, Cubos was recipient of the prestigious TheΒ Outstanding Cebuano Award (TOCA) award in the field of Entrepreneurship in 2016. He served as Chairman of theΒ Cebu Business Month (CBM), an annual event of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), for twoΒ consecutive years from 2020 to 2021.
Cubos is an innovator, so well versed in technology, apps, innovations, countryside development, andΒ community welfare among other vital elements in the BPO world.
Aside from possessing leadership characteristics, Cubos is self-motivated. A multi-sport enthusiast, hardΒ work, discipline, and diligence are deeply entrenched in his being as a triathlete. Above all, his dedication goes beyondΒ the responsibility bestowed upon him as reflected in his impressive track record.
Cubos gamely accepted that there are a lot of capable industry leaders but he is best suited as mouthpieceΒ of the BPO family in the House of Representatives because of his hands-on experience, which is extremely valuable inΒ the government post he is aspiring for. That makes Cubos a great candidate and a cut above the rest.
“What we need is a real representation, a person coming from the industry,” Cubos said. “From thatΒ perspective, I know what it’s like to be a call center agent, an IT worker, an online freelancer, and I’m also anΒ employer.”
“I know every aspect of the industry. I have hands-on experience and knowledge on each of theΒ stakeholder. I a more grounded and balanced. That is very essential if we are crafting on laws for the best interest ofΒ the BPO Industry and for the good of both the employers and the workforce. We need that kind of balance andΒ sustainability for the industry,” Cubos continued.
Once successful in their ground-breaking campaign come the local and national polls three months fromΒ now, Cubos pledged to formulate and enact appropriate laws for the best interest and general welfare of all those inΒ the outsourcing industry.
“As they say, do not promise what you can’t give,” said Cubos. “But we can assure everyone that once givenΒ the chance to serve, we will move heaven and earth for the benefit and advantage of the industry and the only way toΒ achieve that is to push for our platforms.”
