Abe-Olandres
Why Filipinos Want to Take Over the Blogosphere
People are asking Abe Olandres why the Filipino takeover of the blogosphere is such a big frickin’ deal here in the Philippines.
I explained that our generation (i.e. Filipinos) have become known around the globe as any of of these types of people — domestic helper, nurses, sea men, care-giver, or call center agents. In short, we’re looked down by most as cheap 3rd-world laborers. I have aunts that are working as nurses in the US for decades, uncles & cousins on a cargo ship at sea, relatives who are domestic helpers (OFW is the proper term) in Singapore & HK, older cousins who graduated as nurses but ended up as care-givers in UK and even more younger cousins who are now waiting for their Nursing Boars exam results. So, a fellow Filipino taking over a top position in a pre-dominantly western niche is real news.
Having worked with the Information Technology and Electronic Commerce Council during the Estrada administration, I can see where Abe’s coming from here. Too much of the IT trade promotion work done at the dawn of the 21st century focused on turning Filipinos into anonymous low-level BPO drones powered by Starbucks and shallowness. The big hoopla over Filipinos’ success in the blogosphere is fueled in part by our own rebellion against that Faustian bargain.
Filipino Takes Over Blog Herald
Top Filipino problogger Abe Olandres takes over The Blog Herald, a blog providing blogging news for bloggers. Assisting him is fellow full-time Filipino problogger J. Angelo Racoma — y’know, the PayPal for the Philippines crusader.
When it comes to showing Filipinos how to monetize their natural affinity for social media, Abe leads the way. I’m meeting with the Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry tomorrow; I’ll definitely cite this local sunrise industry milestone. They hear a lot about Americans taking over Philippine businesses; bet they rarely hear about a Filipino taking over a US business.
Philippine government people talk a lot about IT “leveling the playing field”. In the heavily disintermediated social media industry, that tired old catchphrase could actually mean something around here.
