Name: Mirzah D.
Joson Building a BPO Center for the Blind will
Adviser: Ar. Gregory Guevara
Title: A PROPOSED IT-BPO HUB FOR THE
PEOPLE WITH FUNCTIONAL DIFFICULTIES: A
STUDY ON THE INTEGRATION OF BARRIER-
FREE ENVIRONMENT
Site: BRGY. LONGOS, MALOLOS, BULACAN
CHAPTER 1
Introduction
As the economy progresses in the
Philippines, access on needs and wants are within
reach. For some it might still be difficult because of
poverty. But as the years passed, the lifestyle of the
Filipino people became more rampant. Based on
National Statistics Offices data on population,
1.43% of the national population are people with
disabilities. Since there is a need for a greater
workforce, people with disabilities are considered to
participate so that they could contribute to the
welfare of the society. Communication and
cooperation are essential traits in business because
it is a reflection of how good a person is when it
comes to sociability.
An Integrated BPO Center for the Blind in
the country will provide special procedures with
people who are blind. For the Philippine setting,
some industries have hired people with visual
impairment. The industries also provided facilities
that are especially made for the blind. BPO center
may create an opportunity for the visually impaired
to be exposed and involved in the community and
can be beneficial to their achievement and well-
being, build stronger school relations, assist family
connections, and revitalize community
environments.
1
Being visually challenged is more a
hindrance; the differently abled have overcome their
disability and have proved themselves in various
fields - be it skilled or unskilled. Various NGOs and
corporates have been working towards helping
these visually impaired achieve economic
independence. Amway Opportunity Foundation,
CSR arm of Amway India Enterprises, is one such
organization committed to provide a better life to
the deprived and weaker sections of the society.
Statement of the Problem
1 Now a BPO, exclusively for the visually challenged, 7
October 2013, http://southasia.oneworld.net/newsmakers/now-
a-bpo-exclusively-for-the-visually-challenged#.V5gJBbh97Dc
greatly contribute revenue in the government.
Providing a work place for the blind may help them
boost their self-confidence and capacity to
contribute to the society. Creating a conducive and
eco-friendly office may serve as a new innovation in
office buildings in the Philippines. The location of
the Special School is also significant because
Malolos, Bulacan, which belongs to Region 3, have
the greatest percentage of people with disabilities
based on National Statistics Offices 2010 Census.
Why is there a vast migration of population in
Bulacan?
Why is there a need for an Integrated BPO
center for the blind?
Why is there a need to apply blind facilities
among BPO offices?
How will the proposal contribute on the
workforce of Malolos?
How will the people have a conducive
working environment despite the work shifts?
Several methods have been proposed in
order to have some resolutions for these issues.
Constructing a specialized office will greatly
recognize the needs of the people with visual
impairments.
Goals of the Project
The project focuses on nurturing the
overall development of each visually impaired
people, maximize his potentials and promote his
independence and skills through balanced and
conducive environment that will allow him to go into
the world with a sense of purpose and confidence.
Scope and Limitations
This study aims to cover the following:
1
 The proposal project is an integrated BPO
center therefore it requires heightened social
interaction within the premises. The proposal
project is also intended for disabled people,
specifically the disabled people with visual
impairment, and handicapped. Another is some
examples of machines or devices that are needed
for the project. The study concentrates in the areas
of Malolos, Bulacan which will have a substantial
demand for such office.
The study limited itself on the following:
It is limited to literature, studies and
articles that are have the ideas about physical
therapy and occupational therapy. The research is
also limited to outputs on devices used for blind
people. It is also limited on the description of work
within the BPO center.
Assumptions
Providing work on people with visual
impairment may boost their perception of
them being part of the society
BPO centers may sustain their heightened
social capacities, making them participate
in social activities
50% of the total demand will use the said
proposal
Project Objectives
To further discuss the Philippine
Architecture adapting global standards
through responsive and innovative design
To provide an office that will enrich the
capacity of the visually-impaired skills
To create a primary place for the blind that
is adaptive to the accessibility environment
To provide spaces that are immersive and
cooperative to the development of the
workers
Significance of the Study
The proponent intended to emphasize the
need for a BPO center in Malolos, Bulacan in order
for the disabled to be a part of the society. This
study is significant for the Philippines since Magna
Carta for PWDs is strongly implemented. Moreover,
this study addressed itself to: government, that the
government may be open enough to cater workers
who are blind, developing the mindset of the public
that such people have contribution to the society
despite the disability; to the Philippines that may
help them achieve their dreams in life through their
chosen careers, while providing them with adequate
facilities; job opportunities, that the people may
avoid migration due to availability of jobs in
Bulacan.
CHAPTER 2
Review of Related Foreign Literatures
Now a BPO, exclusively for the visually
challenged, Madurai, India
2
Initially in the year 2011, IAB piloted this
project with 15 seaters and acquisition of one
business process from the telecom company. In
last couple of years , the visually impaired work
force of the IAB BPO have once again proved their
ability and the BPO is now all set to service the
corporates without compromising on quality,
processes and technology. Talking about AOF,
Sujoy Bose, said, We, at Amway, believe that
partnership between business and the voluntary
sector is a must to achieve inclusive and
sustainable / equitable development. AOF has led
by that example and continues to follow this path of
joint partnership development. So far we have
partnered with 64 NGOs and have set up 16
computers center for the blind benefiting 9000
under-privileged kids and 3000 visually challenged.
Social Enterprise Partners With Major Call
Center Player & Business Process Outsourcer
To Boost Services And Provide Jobs To The
Disabled, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
3
Talk2Rep, Inc., a national business
process outsourcing (BPO) provider based in South
Florida and specializing in Call Center and
Customer Experience Management, today
announced the formation of a strategic partnership
with Lighthouse Works, a Central Florida-based
social enterprise that connects individuals living
with vision loss to employment and job training
opportunities.
Individuals who are visually impaired
make up a group that has traditionally experienced
one of the highest rates of unemployment and
underemployment among other disability groups,
2 Now a BPO, exclusively for the visually challenged, 7
October 2013, http://southasia.oneworld.net
3 Alleyne, Richard, Social Enterprise Partners With Major Call
Center Player & Business Process Outsourcer To Boost
Services And Provide Jobs To The Disabled, 26 July 2014,
http://talk2rep.com
2
said Lee Nasehi, President & CEO of Lighthouse
Central Florida
BPO run by visually challenged, Tamil Nadu, India
4
This unique BPO for the visually
challenged that went live inside the campus of the
Indian Association for Blind (IAB) this week, already
employs about 40 graduates who have been
exclusively trained to handle customer queries on
voice-assisted systems developed in-house.
When we realized that job opportunities
for traditional training courses as teaching, candle
making, telephone operation, etc., were on the
wane, we decided to change our training modules
to suit the job market, said M. Abdul Raheem, CEO
of IAB. We found that call center jobs were ideally
suited for visually challenged people who could
perform on par with others and not suffer stigma,
he added.
Foreign Case Studies
Desi Crew: A Rural BPO in India
5
DesiCrew was started by Saloni Malhotra
who has an engineering background. She started
her business idea with the assumption that if rural
poor are unable to come to the cities for jobs, let the
jobs be taken to them. She recognized that there
was a huge untapped, educated and employable
but currently unemployed talent pool that did not
have access to viable livelihood options. She
decided to set up DesiCrew in rural areas of Tamil
Nadu because of high literacy rates and the
Enhanced Rural BPO policy of Tamil Nadu
government, which provides incentives to
entrepreneurs to set up BPO units in any of Tamil
Nadus villages.
The study is about bringing jobs to
provinces to disperse the existing overpopulation in
India. As said in the article, the challenge for the
proponents is the current locations of BPO centers,
which is usually found in urban areas.
MphasiS Case Study (On BPO facilities
solutions)
6
The concept Many disabled people come
from the poorer strata of society. India has the
4 K. Sreedevi , BPO run by visually challenged, 4 October
2013, http://archives.deccanchronicle.com
5 Joshi, Sachin, Moving Innovation Forward: Desi Crew,
December 2014, https://www.giz.de/en/downloads
largest number of disabled people in the world (both
in absolute terms as well as a % of the population)
and it makes eminent business as well as social
sense to engage them as productive members of
society. MphasiS engages with disability NGOs on
a continuous basis to understand the needs and
aspirations of disabled people. Our other key
partners in this initiative are our training vendors,
who conduct the actual training of the candidates
before they enter the MphasiS recruitment process.
The study is about the integration of the
visually impaired people in BPOs in India. NGOs
and other companies strive to help the disabled by
using MphasiS software
Case study on Training of Trainers Program
7
The Training of Trainer program for
Employment and Employability of Persons with
Disability program was conducted for 4 days in the
month of Apr 2011. The aim of the program was to
not only train the trainers but also to help build
capacity with the basic tools required to work
on employment and employability of persons with
disability. The topics discussed included the
business case for hiring persons with disability,
evaluation, profiling of the candidates, job analysis,
workplace solutions, sensitization workshops, and
so on. They were impressed to learn about finding
innovative workplace solutions, on dealing with
employers with a positive approach among many
other such learnings.
The study is about the training programs
attended by the workers especially the people with
disabilities. Such training enabled them to be
productive in their work.
Review of Related Local Literatures
Infotech firms to employ the visually-impaired
8
Information and communications
technology (ICT) companies are planning to employ
persons with disabilities (PWDs), helping fill up
positions in an industry that is expected to produce
a million jobs by 2010. Organizations such as IBM
6 Chikkala, Vivek, MphasiS Community Services Case Study,
21 September 2011,
https://www.scribd.com/document/65805034/Community-
Services-Case-Study
7 EnAble India, http://enable-india.org
8 Silva, Veronica, GMA Network, 24 September 2008,
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/122605/scitech/infotec
h-firms-to-employ-the-visually-impaired
3
Philippines, Inc., Resources for Blind, Inc. (RBI) and
Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration
and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired (Atriev)
and the Asia Pacific College are helping visually-
impaired individuals to secure employment in the
ICT industry. IBM and RBI launched on Monday its
7th training program for the blind nicknamed
Computer Eyes." The week-long training aims to
equip 19 blind students from all in high school and
college levels in basic computer applications, such
as keyboard skills, word processing, and web page
creation.
Philippine call center to employ blind people
only
9
The Philippines will open its first ever call
center that only employs blind persons, a milestone
in the struggle of disabled people to cross the digital
divide. With eight training rooms and three desks
dedicated for outbound calls, the call center facility
will be equipped with adaptive hardware and
software customized to the needs and abilities of
the blind. Six totally blind, low vision and sighted
graduates are currently being trained as trainors in
Taipei, Taiwan, the headquarters of the the Asia
Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Digital
Opportunity Center (ADOC).
BPOs urged to offer jobs for the blind
10
The Resources for the Blind, Inc. (RBI)
is urging companies, especially the Business
Process Outsourcing (BPO) firms to give
opportunities for employment to the visually
impaired individuals. In an interview with RBI Cebu
branch director Rustica Padasas, she said that her
organization is now encouraging companies, and
corporations to provide job openings for the
educated blind people, to give them equal
opportunity in the society. With the availability of
educational tools for the visually impaired
individuals through the Braille system, and other
technologically-aided gadgets, it is now easier for
the blinds to get decent and high-paying jobs.
9 GMA Network, 15 October 2009,
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/174743/scitech/philippi
ne-call-center-to-employ-blind-people-only
10 Dagooc, Ehda, BPOs urged to offer jobs for the blind, 21
October 2008, http://www.philstar.com/cebu-
business/408849/bpos-urged-offer-jobs-blind
Local Case Studies
Using Technology in the Rehabilitation of
Young People with Vision Impairment towards
Mainstream Employment
11
The Filipinos proficiency in the English
language and natural savvy for technology brought
the Philippines back on the world map. Because of
the countrys strategic location technological
competency, low labor cost, skilled manpower and
sound technological infrastructure, the Philippines
became a hub for front and back office jobs for
foreign firms. Since then, the manpower
requirement for the business process outsourcing
(BPO) industry has been consistently and rapidly
increasing. ICT-based industries such as
transcription and programming have given the sight
impaired new opportunities for employment. The
Internet has presented new ways to
earn especially for Blind or visually impaired
with limited mobility.
The study is about the application of
technologies in aiding the blind on their work.
ATRIEV implemented home programs that is
suitable to the BPO activities for the blind.
Employment of Persons with Disabilities
(PWDs) in the Philippines: The Case of Metro
Manila and Rosario, Batangas
12
Persons with disability (PWDs) are
among the vulnerable groups in the country that
need utmost attention from the government. This is
the perhaps the reason why the institutional and
legal environment has been made favorable to this
particular group, especially in the area of
employment. However, earlier reports note that the
quality of employment of PWDs still needs
improvement. In the Philippines, the Republic Act
No. 7277 or the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons
(specifically Section 32), which took effect in 1992,
ensures equal opportunities for suitable
employment to PWDs as their able-bodied
counterparts.
The study is about the current employment of
people with disabilities. The cases involved had a
11 Catacutan-Sam, Carolina, Using Technology
in the Rehabilitation of Young People with Vision Impairment
towards Mainstream Employmenthttp://icevi.org/publications
12 Mina, Christian D., Employment of Persons with
Disabilities (PWDs) in the Philippines: The Case of Metro
Manila and Rosario, Batangas, January 2013,
http://dirp3.pids.gov.ph/ris/dps/pidsdps1313.pdf
4
significant improvement when it comes
employing PWDs.
Hypothesis
It is hypothesized that an integrated BPO
center for the blind can accommodate workers who
are blind and abled, therefore facilities and methods
specialized in such disabilities will be implemented
in order to have a conducive working environment.
CHAPTER 3
Project Justification
What
According to the National Building Code of the
Philippines (PD 1096), the General Classification of
Use or Occupancy of the project is Division E-2.
The scope of services are focused on the BPO
services, commercial services, maintenance and
administrative services.
Who
The catchment area for the BPO center will come
from towns in Bulacan (Paombong, Calumpit,
Hagonoy, Plaridel, etc.), Pampanga, and National
Capital Region. The existing BPO centers are
located at Quezon City that takes an hour ride.
Why
According to the Socio-Economic Profile of
Malolos, in the 2010 National Census, Region 3
where Bulacan is classified, 10,118 people have
disabilities (PSA, January 2013) making it the third
in the ranking, followed by Region 6. Such number
will greatly accommodate households who have
people with special needs. Also, commercial
establishments are still few in the area.
How/When
The implementation of the proposal is to gain
equity in the needs of the workers who are blind not
only in Tungkong Mangga but also in any parts of
Bulacan.
Where
The location of the site is within reach since it
is along the major road coming from Balintawak-
NLEX, Commonwealth Avenue and Quirino
Highway. The transportation within the site is
accessible from jeepneys, buses, tricycles and
taxis. Public utility stops are located in a short
distance away from site, making it walkable.
to
Site Justification
The researcher selected a site having the
most practical reason. The selected site is located
along the McArthur Highway. Practical because
there is no need to create or build another entrance,
because it can make use of the existing road
located on the selected site. Another reason for the
selection of site is because the site is situated near
NLEX where people working from NCR may get
access in Malolos.
SWOT Analysis
Strength:
Accessibility is abundant on the area
therefore it will be easier for the workers to go.
Vehicular movement is from medium to heavy on
morning and in the afternoon. Pedestrian
movement is from light to medium on weekdays,
medium to heavy on weekends. The site is not
flood-prone and not located near the fault line
according to the Physical Framework of Bulacan.
Weakness:
Lot area is located on a public-oriented
zone, therefore it will cause a lot of noise pollution.
Traffic built-up is evident in the intersection.
Opportunities:
The BPO center is situated in a potentially
high expand of development since it is located near
the urban cities. It may offer jobs that may help
minimize migration in Malolos. Since the incoming
revised CLUP of Malolos is being processed, the
neighboring sites were being converted into mixed-
use environment.
Threats:
The ongoing construction of the Super
City Altaraza may contribute huge congestion in
the area. Small-time businesses may experience
effects on the development of the city since
Altaraza is owned by the Ayala Land Corporation.
Small-time farmers may also experience loss in
profit.