Justin Anwar Malang, co-founder of AK Global Connect, assists one of their agents to provide better services to clients abroad. (Hamdan Badrudin/BIO)
Making calls is crucial to keeping in touch with family, workmates, friends, and other people in general.
Typically, we get to hear, “Hello? ” or “Who is this?” as an answer as soon as we pick up the phone, but isn’t it awesome to hear back from someone saying, “Thank you for calling”?
This is a common phrase heard from individuals working in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry relayed to their clients or customers, usually over the phone.
As widely defined, BPO is a method of subcontracting various business-related operations to third-party vendors.
As of 2022, a total of 1.57 million employees were engaged in the BPO industry, as reported by the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP). Likewise, Nexford University published on July 15, 2024, that this industry contributes almost $30 billion to the Philippine economy annually.
In the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), seldom do we hear of such sector thriving. In fact, the sector’s impact has been so minimal that many Bangsamoro citizens hardly remember or even know of its existence.
(From left to right) Justin Anwar Malang, Norhassah Abdulatip, Sharifa Amirah Mali, and Al-Jubair Kamid are the founders of the AK Global Connect on June 20, 2024, in Cotabato City. (Hamdan Badrudin/BIO)
Around April 2024, a group of four skillful and intrepid Generation Zs, a demographic cohort born from 1997 to 2012, succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha, defied the odds and introduced the world of the BPO in the autonomous region.
They were Al-Jubair Kamid, 23; Norhassah Abdulatip, 24; Justin Anwar Malang, 24; and Sharifa Amirah Mali, 25. Accordingly, it was Kamid who initiated the idea of putting up the company, which was soon proposed to and embraced by the other three.
These young dreamers-turned-fearless entrepreneurs founded this year AK Global Connect, the first flourishing Cotabato City-based BPO industry, which was formerly known as AK Business Process Outsourcing.
AK Global Connect offers services composed of the BPO focused on healthcare and virtual assistance, catering to clients outside the Philippine jurisdiction.
According to Abdulatip and Malang, the goals are to officially introduce the industry to their fellow Bangsamoro citizens, transform the latter into globally competitive individuals, and break the stigma, claiming the job as a “no-brainer” endeavor.
“It is a professional job,” Malang stressed.
In its pilot operation, AK Global Connect had agents who were not only from the BARMM but also from other cities in the country, such as General Santos, Davao, and Surigao.
Due to their commitment to serving the Bangsamoro populace, employment is exclusive at this juncture to the residents of the region.
As reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), as reflected on its January 2024 Labor Force Survey, the BARMM, across all the regions in the country, recorded the highest unemployment rate at 2.9 percent, alongside Cagayan Valley, providing a positive connotation in the Philippine economy.
Published by UBPAP, the IT-BPO industry’s revenue grew by 10.3 percent to $32.5 billion in 2022, stipulating, “The main drivers of annual growth were healthcare, finance, technology, retail, and telecommunications.”
According to the Gen Z owners, their current agents are from Cotabato City and Maguindanao del Norte (MDN).
Presently, 10 employees are doing outbound calls and 20 are undergoing training, with their ages ranging from 25 to 50 years old and above.
Calling it “awe-inspiring” is an understatement, right? Picture leading a team where members are older, sometimes even twice your age. Yet, these four managed to not only stay at the helm but also prioritize the well-being of their workers. Their leadership is nothing short of extraordinary.
The owners supervise the night shift operations of the company to ensure the welfare of the call center agents while sustaining quality service. (Hamdan Badrudin/BIO)
“As we’ve said, we want to help our people and make them feel comfortable with their jobs. That is why their well-being is our top priority,” Malang said.
“Without them, not a single thing in this journey would succeed,” Abdulatip also shared.
Salary starts at P12,000 and could skyrocket to 16 to 18 thousand pesos within a month, inclusive of the incentives and other benefits provided.
Hiring Process
Interested individuals may submit their applications by accessing the website of the company at akglobalconnect.com, its Facebook page “AK Global Connect,” or by submitting personally at their Recruitment Hub at Don TV Juliano Avenue, corner Sousa Ave., Cotabato City, in front of the Pantasia store.
As soon as the applicants finish the initial interview phase, written assessments follow, centered on General Knowledge, Grammar Tests, and BPO Concepts, among others.
If passed, they will proceed to training, which only runs for a maximum of three weeks, especially for rookies.
Challenges
Beginnings are exciting but can also be tough and always the hardest, and AK Global Connect faced its share of challenges. After its initial pioneering efforts, the company had to shut down operations in the second quarter of 2024.
But this setback was a chance for the young leaders to reflect, learn, and refine their approach.
By June 2024, the firm was back—more prepared and stronger than ever.
“Losses are normal. There were moments in the past when hurdles happened, but we ended up not pressuring ourselves since we were just starting,” Abdulatip stated.
“However, we always ensure to do our best so we can provide proper management. Not only our agents but also, we shall be working hand in hand to
make sure that everything will work out,” she continued.
“To tell you honestly, our agents are the ones who motivate us,” she added.
Ways Forward
With all the obstacles encountered in the past, the entrepreneurs mentioned that they are “a lot better” now.
Based on their statements, they have already established a workplace conducting the duties on-site, which was in a work-from-home setup a few months ago.
Additionally, more investors and clients have engaged with them, some of whom have contracts with the four.
The Gen Zs will fly overseas this August to meet with international investors for soon-to-be collaborations.
For future plans, they will construct prayer and nap rooms for the benefit of the agents, adding to the pantry facility, which the latter can get costless meals from.
It is also expected that daytime shifts will be available in the company by September 2024.
“We look forward to our services expanding BARMM-wide, specifically in the other provinces here, so equal opportunities and aid will be afforded to Bangsamoro people,” Malang emphasized.
Secrets Untold
Abdulatip fondly and hilariously shared, “Our families did not even know our plans. They were ultimately shocked when we announced our ribbon-cutting event for our company commencement.”
“We were once accused that we could be doing ‘scams,’ for our agents are awake in the evening,” she laughingly stated.
“That is why we were urged to promote further and educate our co-Bangsamoro that the BPO industry is not a fraudulent activity; rather, it brings about livelihood,” she said.
With the widespread news, in the digital world, of AK Global Connect’s growing population, the “cryptic” or “mysterious” calls, as dubbed by those outside the industry, have now gained clarity, learning that they are legitimately and truthfully a huge help in the lives of the Bangsamoro people.
Words to Co-Gen Zs
Malang highlighted that the main enemy in entrepreneurship is the fear of investing and taking a risk.
“You have to fight against what scares you. As long as you have plans, you can do it. There is no such thing as ‘easy money’,” he stressed.
“Don’t limit yourselves and maximize your creativity,” he added.
Further, Abdulatip encouraged her fellow young Bangsamoro that not everything needs to be hastened, saying, “They shall have one step at a time.”
She added that keeping minds focused and innovative is also a key to success, partnered with the right intentions and hard work.
“Our determinations and visions will drive us forward, so we must be open to being creative and innovative, encompassing the eagerness to learn every day,” she mentioned. (Johamin Inok/BIO).
