Filipino netpreneur launches Internet marketing biz in RP

Following the success of his internet marketing and publishing business in the United States, Filipino netpreneur Joel Christopher Remandagan is now establishing a counterpart of his online business in the Philippines. The San Antonio, Texas-based Filipino businessman wants to share his knowledge and access to technology to fellow Filipinos who are interested of pursuing a career in the online industry.

Remandagan believes that the solution to the Philippines' economic program is not political revolution.

"Giving Filipinos access and awareness to technology is the solution", he said.

Remandagan is a native of Tabango, Leyte and spent the first three years of his elementary education in an elementary school in the town. He then transferred to the University of Santo Tomas where he earned his high school diploma and his Bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy, graduating valedictorian in both occasions. He topped the PT board examination in August 1987 and moved to the United States the following year.

Having been once a student activist, he still continues to uphold his ideology of contributing to his home country. He is sponsoring scholarships to an average of one student per year. Two of his scholars, Carmelita Mirontos and Josephine Sapilan, have now earned a degree in accountancy. Mirontos is already working for an American company based in Manila and Sapilan is a call center agent in Davao.

Aside from the benefit that he would get from hiring competent Filipino workers and paying lower costs of labor, Remandagan's goal is to "provide jobs to Filipinos in the Philippines without draining the economy." He said that this kind of system would be more beneficial since the talents of Filipinos would be kept in the country instead of exporting them to other nations.

Unlike the stressful call center job, he revealed that working for a contact center is a much more convenient job since it requires fewer skills. Stress would also be minimal since it is voiceless. The job would mainly consist of computer works that would be communicated through electronic mails.

Remandagan enumerated three levels of the contact center job. The first level is the E-mail Help Desk Training. Workers are going to provide answers to the clients' needs. The second level is the Virtual Assistants Training. The work of virtual assistants would be similar to that of secretaries. Filing, scheduling, and organizing would be the main bulk of the work but the job would be done online. The third and the highest level is the Netpreneurship where people become their own boss.

Remandagan plans to have five to ten agents in Cebu, Manila, and his hometown, Leyte. The contact center would be in test operation for the next three to six months. Manila would already be starting its operation today, while Cebu and Leyte are expected to start a month after. The regular operations of all centers are targeted to happen in January of next year. He envisioned three work shifts in the center here.

Future agents of the contact center would undergo three to six months of e-mail support and virtual assistance training. He is offering scholarships for the first agents in all areas. Those who want to apply may e-mail their resumes to [email protected].

Given that everything works well in the contacts centers here, he believes that the Philippines would experience an economic advancement.

"If everything works out well, in 20 years makakahabol ang Pilipinas," he said.

Remandagan has been known in the US since he grew his opt-in list to more than 200,000 newsletter subscribers in just five years. He has been tagged as the "Tony Robbins of Internet Marketing" and "Michael Jordan of Internet List Building" after he tripled his list to over 30, 903 in 99 days. He wanted to retire at the age of 45 and permanently move in the Philippines with an island resort.