When business tycoon Donald Trump shocked the world by winning the US Presidential election, there were lots of rumors that the BPO business in our country would be greatly affected. But since then, I have seen an increased number of ads both from social media and billboard in our city, specifically job hiring for call center agents. Qualfon is one of the leading BPO companies in the country. Qualfon is a global provider of contact center, back-office, and business process outsourcing (BPO) services. They offer a full suite of solutions and intelligent outsourcing locations in the US and across the globe. They have been in business since 1995 in Mexico City where they are based. Today, they have more than 10,000 employees servicing international base clients and operate in the Philippines, Guyana, Mexico, and the United States.
Qualfon Cebu started its operation in June 2006 and to date has more than 3,700 employees. And part of their mission is to take care of their employees through Care, Give, Learn and Fun at Work Programs, essentially to create work-life balance. Even with big number of employees, the demand is still steadily increasing which for now agents are already required to add at least a number of hours overtime just to keep up with their clients' demands. And to avoid burn out, Qualfon’s main project is to promote a healthy lifestyle in the company and has set up wellness group from zumba, dancing, running, table tennis, yoga and mixed martial arts. Through this fun, healthy lifestyle, it can give time for the employees to relax, recharge and prepare them for the next day. Another challenge that Qualfon has set up is the 2nd Season of the 'Healthier You Challenge' wherein 20 employees were screened, and have them commit to a 2-month program by yours truly. So for 8 weeks, these employees will undergo a rigorous METAFIT workout which is mostly using your body weight.
The most common reason why people don’t exercise is because of lack of time. So I have specifically designed workouts that are short and high intense, that is between 4-5 minutes focusing on body weight exercises like jumping jack, squat, push up and lunges. Basic exercises that you can do it anytime, anywhere. We meet three times a week, to guide them on the exercises and will be giving them nutritional tips such as how to monitor the calorie intake, what food to eat and what not to eat. Eating in moderation, assignment workout for the rest of the week. Because BPO are usually using a high-rise facility, the challenge for these contestants is using the stairs so they have to use the stairs thrice a week. The biggest challenge of these guys, however, is maintaining the weight after the challenge. Our aim is to create a healthier lifestyle, forming new habits that even at the end of this program they can still easily continue it and even inspire others to follow, thereby creating a bigger awareness to the young working class on living a healthy lifestyle.
At the end of the 2-month program, the employee with biggest weight lost percentage wins cash prize, gift pack and a gym membership. But I was quick to remind them the fitness is not just about losing weight. Fitness is about getting fitter, stronger and healthier. Losing weight is just a bonus.