General Information

[QUOTE=Ender]Questions
I currently have a call center for my company in India but I am dissapointed in the quality of the staff. A friend of mine suggested the Philippines due to the similar low cost of labor and the English speaking population. Questions for any Expats or people familiar with.

1) Where is the best location to open the office (small office 8-10 people max) rental rates.? Reliable Internet needed .. anyone know what a 300-400sqft office would go for.? I would assume that Makati would be the location of choice... but others have suggested that I open something in Cebu or one of the smaller cities, cheaper employment rate and office rental... what are your thoughts.

2) What percentage of the population speaks good English. Good enough to respond to e-mail support.? What is the going rate for such a person (salary .. per hour.? )

3) What are the legal aspects of starting a company in the Philippines?

4) What does an 1br apartment in Cebu run per month?

Thanks for your help,
ENDER[/QUOTE]

There has recently been a lot of publicity in Phil newspapers and a TV program (can't remember details, but think it was Bloomberg) about call centers in Phils not working out because of the poor spoken English of the Filipinos. The Phil govt is getting quite concerned about the problem. They put it down to the latest focus on speaking Tagalog instead on English and too much time watching Tagalog programs on TV instead of those in English. I must admit, I am surprised at the quality of English spoken by those who even had full schooling. You may need to check this out before you jump in...

I don't have the current rental rate BUT I was investigating a possible call center joint venture for my compnay in Canada and a local outfit...
Call center agents are earning between 300-500 US per month. They all speak English and are taught from Grade 1.

Cebu is definitely cheaper however, a major call center operater in based there as well. Rent is cheap and may be wise to just invest in a property...

Cebu Local will be of better help on this one.

IB


[QUOTE=Ender]Questions
I currently have a call center for my company in India but I am dissapointed in the quality of the staff. A friend of mine suggested the Philippines due to the similar low cost of labor and the English speaking population. Questions for any Expats or people familiar with.

1) Where is the best location to open the office (small office 8-10 people max) rental rates.? Reliable Internet needed .. anyone know what a 300-400sqft office would go for.? I would assume that Makati would be the location of choice... but others have suggested that I open something in Cebu or one of the smaller cities, cheaper employment rate and office rental... what are your thoughts.

2) What percentage of the population speaks good English. Good enough to respond to e-mail support.? What is the going rate for such a person (salary .. per hour.? )

3) What are the legal aspects of starting a company in the Philippines?

4) What does an 1br apartment in Cebu run per month?

Thanks for your help,
ENDER[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Fastpiston]There has recently been a lot of publicity in Phil newspapers and a TV program (can't remember details, but think it was Bloomberg) about call centers in Phils not working out because of the poor spoken English of the Filipinos. The Phil govt is getting quite concerned about the problem. They put it down to the latest focus on speaking Tagalog instead on English and too much time watching Tagalog programs on TV instead of those in English. I must admit, I am surprised at the quality of English spoken by those who even had full schooling. You may need to check this out before you jump in...[/QUOTE]


to fastpiston

I think most filipino speak good english compare to other parts of asia but most of them is high school grad and are not train and lack of customer serivce skill .

I am in the US contact my online broker etrade financial and the call went to
a call center and I can tell by the last name and adcent that I am calling manila and she speak good english but cannot answer any of my questions you can't expect much for 500 usd a month , is better than AOL call center at india you can't understand any of them.

fast eddie 48

[QUOTE=Fast Eddie 48]to fastpiston

I think most filipino speak good english compare to other parts of asia but most of them is high school grad and are not train and lack of customer serivce skill .

I am in the US contact my online broker etrade financial and the call went to
a call center and I can tell by the last name and adcent that I am calling manila and she speak good english but cannot answer any of my questions you can't expect much for 500 usd a month , is better than AOL call center at india you can't understand any of them.

fast eddie 48[/QUOTE]


gentlemen:

Just a few observations, IMHO Cebuanos speak better 'english" than most other places in the PI Manila included, not sure of the reason, probably the teachers many of whom have tenure in the US. But also many private schools here, those teaching the Koreans etc, are staffed by American educators who infuse their "Americanese" which is different in Accent and some verbage than "English", I can understand "Filipino English" spoken by Cebuanos better than those in pther parts of the PI, also, they understand me, but perhaps that is because I am used to hearing them.

The largest problem Filipinos in general have is with 'American English" which
tends to be rather rapid fire and "nasal" also, many of these call centers dont train them in "business english",so the staffers tend to lapse into their bad habits telling you "for awhile" instead of "Hold please while I check on it" etc.

Knew a guy in Davao who wanted to start a call center there, he said he tested about 500 candidates and gave up, although they "spoke english" not too many understood what the average "American" caller would be talking about. Just a thought but I think it takes time for any of these staffers to get used to the version of "english" being used, verbage. accent etc, they have to develop those skills, but they have the root understanding of what is being said.

Bottom line, if yiou arwe thinking of a start up business along these lines you should train your staff in Business English and do some practical exercises/mock calls.

Spamhog

I investigated this too and I am in agreement with SH regarding the English accent spoken in Cebu vs in Manila. I didn't understand why that is. Any long-timers want to chime in on this?

Among other items I found was that a college degree is required just to get a job interview and yet most filipino college graduates still flunk the English usage testing. It was a big deal in the news while I was there. Seems the easy pickings among the call center employment pool have already been picked: there apparently aren't enough qualified and available English users for all of the call centers that want to employ them.

My theory on the issue of Cebuanos speaking better English is that Cebuano is more sourced from English and Spanish than Tagalog and other Filipino dialects. I certainly find it easier to understand Cebuano than Tagalog. (With my language background being primarily English and secondarily Spanish.)

Agreed on the easy pickin's having been picked part. Those with great skills are demanding quite good salaries for this country.

[QUOTE=Finrod]I investigated this too and I am in agreement with SH regarding the English accent spoken in Cebu vs in Manila. I didn't understand why that is. Any long-timers want to chime in on this?

Among other items I found was that a college degree is required just to get a job interview and yet most filipino college graduates still flunk the English usage testing. It was a big deal in the news while I was there. Seems the easy pickings among the call center employment pool have already been picked: there apparently aren't enough qualified and available English users for all of the call centers that want to employ them.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Botaki6] My fav pic-ups in the past were from Jakosalem, going by cab and scrolling the roads for the many FL's for 500..700/night Is the situation still the same?[/QUOTE]

Hhhmmm.. a lot of discussion on Cebu as an investment spot - but nada on mongering... Hey men, can you ask that question to the Wall Street Magazine???- but here let me know the present stage puss-investment.... Please.

[QUOTE=Fastpiston]There has recently been a lot of publicity in Phil newspapers and a TV program (can't remember details, but think it was Bloomberg) about call centers in Phils not working out because of the poor spoken English of the Filipinos. The Phil govt is getting quite concerned about the problem. They put it down to the latest focus on speaking Tagalog instead on English and too much time watching Tagalog programs on TV instead of those in English. I must admit, I am surprised at the quality of English spoken by those who even had full schooling. You may need to check this out before you jump in...[/QUOTE]

Totally agree, thankfully my "call centers" are mostly typed and e-mail support thus eliminating the sometimes horrific accents of English spoken. You and I both know that if (especially the bar girls) there is one thing that they can do great, it is to chat and write letters.

Ok fellas, have my tickets in hand for my exploration tour of the Philippines. This is the last mongering destination that I am a virgin with (Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Cuba, Brazil, Argentina, Cost Rica, Columbia and Russia) have all been logged and noted. Ironic in that the Philippines was the first destination I had heard about back in the late 80's when my uncle told me about Clark and Angeles City. FYI Cebu Pacific Air [url]http://www.cebupacificair.com/[/url] has 99p specials on flights anywhere in the country for the next few days. I got my round trip from Clark to Cebu for $48 USD including tax, now that's not a bad bargain. I would think that you regulars in country would take advantage of some of the more exotic destinations like Palawan that usually cost much more to fly to. Check it out!

That said I am making arangements for my 1 week stay in Cebu. My style as a monger is to treat the girls as they deserve to be treated. Never overpay but never be a cheap charlie, to eat well, drink well and treat my fellow mongers to a round of drinks now and again. When it comes to Hotels, I prefer economy stays. The rooms have to be clean, the AC has to work well and the place has to be safe. That said, an example of my level of mimimum hotel requirements would be The Nana Hotel in Bangkok. The rooms were fine, the AC worked and they were $25/ night. Perfect.. In Angeles City I was thinking Either The Orchid Inn, Central Park or the New Royal Amsterdam . All in the $30-$40 / night range. Your thoughts would be of great help along with a description as to why you would prefer one over the other.

In Manila I'm a little lost, have heard about the LA Cafe which seems to be the freelance/ no barfine choice of most mongers on the board but since I'm not familiar with the city.. I was thinking of staying at the Citadel Century in Makati.??? Any thoughts.. suggestions on destinations would be great as I will only be in Manila for 3 days.

Which brings us to Cebu. From what I have read, the mongering destinations are in 5 main places. Out on Mactan Island, The 3 spots in the city and then the "Pimp Alley" (forgive I forgot the name, but it's the lock your doors and fly straight street). That PDF map is fantastic, but I can not tell where the locations are in relation to the overall map.

Was thinking of staying at either the Kiwi Lodge or The Cebu Century Golden Peak Hotel ... any thoughts.? The Golder Peak I was quoted at $35 per day and the Kiwi at 945p per day.

So anyone with clarification on the areas of activity in Cebu right now would be of great help.

All the best,
ENDER

Forgot to mention that a requirement in my Hotel selection in Cebu is that I have to have Internet conectivity in my room.

Thanks,
ENDER

Ender,Would recommend Kiwilodge but wifi internet was only available in the bar re AS PER MY LAST VISIT THERE IN February 2006. I will be there in about ten days but am splashing out this time at the Marriott as i will be bringing my regular girl there from Manila whom works at LA Cafe.
I fly to Manila today from Bangkok. Citadel is too far away from Ermita if you plan to troll LA Cafe nightly. Have stayed at Citadel before and you wait sometimes up to ten minutes for a elevator as there are only two elevators to service up to 35 floors.I am trying out a new hotel (new for me, not to be read as a new hotel) that has wifi or broadband in your room across the road from G Point and 5 - 10 mins walk to LA Cafe as I like to walk where possible when on vacation. Its called Lotus Gardens hotel and im paying $50.00 per night for a superior room.check out.
[url]http://www.citygardenhotels.com/lotus/main.html[/url]
Hope this info helps. If you want high end properties close to LA Cafe try Hyatt and Pan Pacific.
Hope this info helps.

Used to haunt Bangkok and I have stayed at nana hotel and a few others from soi 3 to 11, on Sukumvit nowadays I usually bunk at the Ambassador if im in town but it is with Mrs Spamhog in tow, no mongering. So a few CEBU hotel's which I feel are comprable to Nana or the Ambassador. I would say the Marriot is close to Ambassador, but probably too expensive,(about $85 US) the advantage is you can walk to Ayala Mall, nice pool and in a good central mongering location.

NaNa comparable are: Richmond Hotel, Mango Square park, a few others on the cheap are Northwinds, Castle peak, probably less than $25.00 (P1,200) for a delux room, all girl friendly and centrally located to mongering areas, Eddies is okay, the advantage here is you can walk to the main areas of bars and the LONE STAR is right across the street. But Golden peak is okay and close to the action, P 1800 sounds a little high. I would avoid going out on Mactan, too far, more hotels in town closer to the action.

Cebu is different than Manila. lots of Mongering but more laid back and less commercialized, you're more likely to pick up a clerk in the mall, meet a waitress or have some cutie give you the eye while you're shopping. But there are a few bars in little enclaves, some more over by Robinsons plaza mall like thunder dome and the cobra bar. NOW FOR THE KICKER: THE ASEAN SUMMIT IS NEXT WEEK THEN SINULOG FESTIVAL, SO HOTELS ARE GONNA BE FULLY BOOKED. If you do decide to come to cebu during that period and get stuck, give me a PM, I can probably get you a room with one of my connections at a more out of the way hotel close to where I live.

In Manila, you might want to check out the Orchid Garden Hotel, once again close to the Ambassador in BKK, but might not be Girl Friendly. It is close to Ermita/Malate (La Cafe) and the bar area, Makati is another bar area, but IMHO none of these places holds a candle to BKK, Nanplaza or Patpong, or even Pattaya for that matter, just different.

If you get to Cebu and have time to sit down for a coffee give me a PM.

Good Luck


Spamhog

May also want to consider the West Gorordo Hotel (110 Gorordo Ave.), relativley good inexpensive resteraunt next door.

[QUOTE=Spam Hog]Used to haunt Bangkok and I have stayed at nana hotel and a few others from soi 3 to 11, on Sukumvit nowadays I usually bunk at the Ambassador if im in town but it is with Mrs Spamhog in tow, no mongering. So a few CEBU hotel's which I feel are comprable to Nana or the Ambassador. I would say the Marriot is close to Ambassador, but probably too expensive,(about $85 US) the advantage is you can walk to Ayala Mall, nice pool and in a good central mongering location.

NaNa comparable are: Richmond Hotel, Mango Square park, a few others on the cheap are Northwinds, Castle peak, probably less than $25.00 (P1,200) for a delux room, all girl friendly and centrally located to mongering areas, Eddies is okay, the advantage here is you can walk to the main areas of bars and the LONE STAR is right across the street. But Golden peak is okay and close to the action, P 1800 sounds a little high. I would avoid going out on Mactan, too far, more hotels in town closer to the action.

Cebu is different than Manila. lots of Mongering but more laid back and less commercialized, you're more likely to pick up a clerk in the mall, meet a waitress or have some cutie give you the eye while you're shopping. But there are a few bars in little enclaves, some more over by Robinsons plaza mall like thunder dome and the cobra bar. NOW FOR THE KICKER: THE ASEAN SUMMIT IS NEXT WEEK THEN SINULOG FESTIVAL, SO HOTELS ARE GONNA BE FULLY BOOKED. If you do decide to come to cebu during that period and get stuck, give me a PM, I can probably get you a room with one of my connections at a more out of the way hotel close to where I live.

In Manila, you might want to check out the Orchid Garden Hotel, once again close to the Ambassador in BKK, but might not be Girl Friendly. It is close to Ermita/Malate (La Cafe) and the bar area, Makati is another bar area, but IMHO none of these places holds a candle to BKK, Nanplaza or Patpong, or even Pattaya for that matter, just different.

If you get to Cebu and have time to sit down for a coffee give me a PM.

Good Luck


Spamhog[/QUOTE]

Let us know about the Lotus Garden. I will be in Manila in March.

Stayed there about a year ago. Good rate, but the room was very small. However, I did have two large suitcases and, as a result, could barely fit them in the room without it being awkward to move around.

Thanks.

[QUOTE=AsiaFloyd]Ender,Would recommend Kiwilodge but wifi internet was only available in the bar re AS PER MY LAST VISIT THERE IN February 2006. I will be there in about ten days but am splashing out this time at the Marriott as i will be bringing my regular girl there from Manila whom works at LA Cafe.
I fly to Manila today from Bangkok. Citadel is too far away from Ermita if you plan to troll LA Cafe nightly. Have stayed at Citadel before and you wait sometimes up to ten minutes for a elevator as there are only two elevators to service up to 35 floors.I am trying out a new hotel (new for me, not to be read as a new hotel) that has wifi or broadband in your room across the road from G Point and 5 - 10 mins walk to LA Cafe as I like to walk where possible when on vacation. Its called Lotus Gardens hotel and im paying $50.00 per night for a superior room.check out.
[url]http://www.citygardenhotels.com/lotus/main.html[/url]
Hope this info helps. If you want high end properties close to LA Cafe try Hyatt and Pan Pacific.
Hope this info helps.[/QUOTE]

I loved this place at P2,400/night in 2000 - 2003, but higher now, would have to look for someplace else if I were in Cebu. Great food, location and lobby: rooms were OK also.