After call center closure: City, BPOs offer to help workers

CEBU, Philippines - All is not lost for the 641 employees of a call center company, which recently closed shop, as other firms have opened their doors to help them find work.

Direct Access Corporation, which suspended its operations for six months since Monday night, could be facing charges as the workers are building up cases against the US-based firm.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama also assured the displaced workers of help from the city.

 Job opportunities

Teleperformance, the second largest BPO company in the country, has invited the workers to visit their office at the Insular building at the Cebu Business Park.

Tanya Famador-Japitana, Vice President for Client Services of Teleperformance, said that they need people to fill up seats for either customer services of technical services.

Sylvio Dorig, spokesperson of the displaced workers, also said that Qualfon, another call center company located at Asiatown I.T. Park will be having a two-day job fair this coming Friday and Saturday for the terminated workers.

“We are thankful that they are helping us as we continue to seek redress and demands from our company that closed down,” Dorig told The FREEMAN.

 Filing of charges

Dennis Derige, spokesperson of the Partido ng Manggagawa-Cebu who helped the displaced workers, said that Direct Access has payables amounting to P6.4 million for salaries, allowances, incentives and other benefits for the workers.

“We are building up the case so that we can file criminal charges against those who are responsible,” said Derige.

Representatives from the Department of Labor and Employment-7 and the National Conciliation and Mediation Board-7 also conducted a mediation meeting between five workers’ representatives and the management, represented by Jeffrey Newman, the chief operating officer.

Dorig said that during the mediation, they were told that their clients have no more funds, production is down and cost has been going up.

He added that the company has total assets of between P10 to P20 million.

Dorig further said that at this 5 a.m., they will have a teleconference with the company owner based in the US.

Derige added that the DAC owner, which also reportedly owns Revocalized, also a call center in Utah, USA, have also declared bankruptcy.

“That is only according to them. We will ask our counterparts in the US whether that is true or not,” Derige added.

City support

Mayor Rama yesterday said he has directed the Department of Social Welfare and Services and the Department of Manpower Development and Placement to assess the job needs of these newly unemployed individuals.

Also, the mayor assured that the city will help them collect their remaining collectibles from their company.

The displaced workers claimed that they have not been given their full pay last July 16 and were not also paid their salaries last July 31.

Notice about the suspension of operations was circulated late Monday night by Newman.

— with Liv Campo/NLQ (FREEMAN)