Mabuhay!

I read Japol's blog about a call he received from a "kababayan." Getting a call from our "kabayan" is something that I look forward to because when you get to the "building rapport" part in the call you also get to discover a lot of things that our Filipino workers / customers volunteer to share with you. I learned that their life, as comfortable as it is, is lonely in their side of the world. Christmas is not as highly celebrated as it is here in the Philippines and is quite lonesome specially to our single Filipinos out there. Hence, for our Filipino clients, they find it so much a welcome relief being able to get through a Filipino customer service representative. I don't know if this holds true in other call centers. But where I work, we are not able to initiate speaking in our native vernacular unless we are requested by our Filipino customers to do so or if we feel that they are having a difficult time expressing themselves. One time I received a call from a Filipino and since our customers are from the UK we have adapted the British's intonation. I felt that my Filipino customer wanted to say something but could not seem to get it right. Oh please do not misconstrue, that happens to me once in a while since our brain tends to literally translates everything word for word. Anyway, I looked around me first (hahaha) and hinted that I was a Filipina. When he heard this he laughingly said "Whew! buti na lang aba e hirap na hirap na ako kaka English! Akala ko British ang kausap ko! Nagdudugo na ang ilong ko..." (Whew! It's a good thing! I was really having a hard time I thought I was speaking to a British national. My nose has started to bleed already ...)

Every time I am able to speak to one of our "kabayans" I can't help but be proud of our race. We excel in everything we do! So to all our kabayans working abroad, "Mabuhay kayong lahat! Continue being good ambassadors of our country! We are all proud of you! And most of all we too, are hoping to get where you are! haha So, to all of my Filipino countrymen a song from my heart from Francis M.

Mga kababayan ko

Francis m.

Mga kababayan ko

Dapat lang malaman nyo

Bilib ako sa kulay ko

Ako ay pilipino

Kung may itim or may puti

Mayron naman kayumangi

Isipin mo na kaya mong

Abutin ang yung minimithi

Dapat magsumikap para tayoy di maghirap

Ang trabaho mo pagbutihin mo

Dahil pag gusto mo ay kaya mo

Kung kaya mo ay kaya nya

At kaya nating dalawa

Magaling ang atin

Yan ang laging iisipin

Pag asensyo mararating

Kung handa kang tiisin

Ang hirap at pagod sa problema

Wag kang malunod

Umaahon ka wag lumubog

Pagka't ginhawa naman ang susunod

Iwasan mo ang ingit

Ang sa ibay ibig mong makamit

Dapat nga ikaw matuwa sa napala ng iyong kapatid

Ibig kung ipabatid

Na lahat tayo'y kabig bisig

Respetohin natin ang ating ina

Ilaw siya ng tahanan

Bigyang galang ang ama

At ang payo ang susudan

At sa magkakapatid

Kailang ay magmahalan

Dapat lng ay pag usapan ang hindi nauuwaan

Wag takasan ang pag kukulang

Kasalan ay panagutan

Mag malinis ay iwasan

Nakakainis marumi naman

Ang mag kaaway ipag bati

Gumitna ka ang wag kumampi

Lahat tayoy magkakapatid

Anong mang mali ay ituwid

Magdasal sa diyos maykapal

Maging banal at wag hangal

Itong tula ay alay ko

Sa inyo at sa buong mundo