Inner

1:55 PM 1/30/2006

A new play by Chris Martinez entitled "IntelStar," stars my favorite theater actress Eugene Domingo.

Ever since my salad days as a UP student, I have loved Domingo's dynamic balance and sheer grace in portraying roles -- from the sublime to the comic.

I would really love to watch the play, but since I'm working here in Cebu City, it would be next to impossible to watch the play. But I'm sure in her latest role as a call center training manager, she would again exhibit her acting prowess in essaying the "inner alienation" that afflicts call center agents.

Oh, I have tried my luck at call centers here, hoping to land a five-digit job and aware of the risks to my psyche.

That's just so stupid. Why is there a need for Americans to know that whenever they call customer support, they'd hear the voice of another American? Globalization is here to stay.

Right now, I am working at a design studio whose clients are mostly foreigners. But that doesn't stop us from being Filipinos. That makes me proud -- I am FILIPINO, proudly working as a FILIPINO, showcasing my talent as a FILIPINO, and not pretending to be someone other than being a FILIPINO while doing business.

Sure, call center agents earn much more than me. But the difference in salary lies in the reason that they need to be paid to pretend.