The Inquirer today has a story about office romance at Manila’s many call centers. First, congrats to the PDI for keeping my attention through the entire story. I think it may be the first time I’ve read an Inquirer story from start to finish. Second, whether this is true or not, it is an interesting concept: call centers contributing to an increase in extra-marital affairs.
Angel, who currently has a boyfriend not working in a call center, said she herself was being courted by an older married coworker.
His wooing, she said, comes leeringly with some kind of assurance that “it’s supposedly a natural thing in call centers to have a lover while you’re inside and another one outside, both at the same time.â€
“Para lang daw masaya (Just for a little happiness),†she told the Inquirer. Asked what she thought made her call center prone to such indecent overtures and liaisons, Angel said: “When you’re in one, you tend to spend more time with your coworkers than with your family or partner. You practically have a life nowhere else but there.â€
The parts about keeping a relationship going on the nocturnal hours of call center employees also makes for some interesting reading.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Similar stories have been coming out of India over the past 2-3 yrs! Interesting…
I’m fascinated by this call center culture. I even saw a play earlier this year that made fun of call center practices — like the requirement that workers take “accent neutralization” classes. It was brilliant.
Cant resist adding – apparently a bank in India had an ATM in a call center area. They found out later to their horror, on viewing the surveillence tapes, that the in-the-corner ATM was being used by call center folks to make out. Bright lights and a guard later, the call center employees sadly looked for another spot!