Purple Plum Fairy: Why Should We Vote for Mar Roxas?

Liberal Party Presidential Candidate former DILG Secretary Mar Roxas

Business Processing Outsource or BPO’s [that’s also known as ‘call center’ for most people] is one of the most lucrative and fastest growing industries in the country today . There is no denying its major role in providing quality jobs and encouraging economic activity and investment even in areas outside Metro Manila. But have you ever wondered how these BPOs opened doors of opportunities for a lot of Filipinos? So how does it all connects to Liberal Party Presidential candidate Mar Roxas?

Well, unbeknownst to many, it was actually Secretary Mar Roxas who, during his tenure as then secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry saw its potential and reached out to key leaders to promote foreign investors which eventually helped shaped in the landscape of these BPOs. Mar Roxas also made the BPO industry known by the public when he was lobbying in congress to revise the Republic Act 7916 so that the buildings could be registered as an ecozone. That meant the BPO industries were exempted from paying national and local taxes and they only had to contribute 5% of their gross income tax—all these might seem quite a small thing but it’s indeed helpful for a lot of people.

Through the availability of BPO jobs that we now have, Filipinos need not travel far to become an OFW. This saves them from being away from their family while earning decent compensation [with night differential for graveyard shifts] as well as benefits like HMOs [medical assistance], SSS and Philhealth among many others.

Why should I vote for Mar Roxas? In all honesty, it's because of his integrity, educational and moral background and because of his genuine heart for public service.

Quoting a friend of mine who once said in the vernacular, "Sa dami ng call center jobs na mayroon sa bansa, hindi mo na kailangan magpaalipin sa dayuhan sa ibayong dagat." [With the many job opportunities that we now have in call centers, there's no need for you to go abroad and be employed by citizens of other countries.] Ideally, being an IT professional here can give one a better life than being abroad. Cliche as it may sound but there's really no place like home.

In fact, for the year 2016, it is expected for the BPO industry to generate at least 1.3M new jobs alone with around 17% annual growth, according to reports. All of these were made possible because there was Sec. Mar Roxas. Clearly, we have so much to thank Sec. Mar Roxas for. Having the growing BPO industry is just one of them.

So who is Mar Roxas to an ordinary Filipino? Here are a few videos you can watch courtesy of #BayangMatuwid # #RoxasRobredo group: