“Kapag may tiyak na trabaho na may sapat na kita, may pantustos sa pagkain at nawawala ang pangamba sa pagkakasakit sa takot na lalong malubog sa utang dahil walang pambili ng gamot o pambayad sa ospital.”

This is the recurring sentiment of Cong. Manoy Wilbert “Wise” Lee as he attended as Guest Speaker in the opening of Global Flow Solutions Inc., a new Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company in Plaridel, Bulacan on Saturday, which would generate new jobs for residents in Bulacan and nearby areas.

A seasoned businessman who has been using his acumen for decades to employ Filipinos across the country and provide them with means to a better life, Lee led and persistently pushed for the opening of the said BPO enterprise in Plaridel.

“Bilang dating negosyante, nakita natin ang impact na idinudulot ng paglikha ng trabaho para mapabuti ang antas ng pamumuhay ng ating mga kababayan. Kaya talagang pinangunahan, tinutukan, sinuportahan at itinulak natin na simulan at tapusin ang proyektong ito hanggang sa marating natin ang puntong ito kung saan marami nating kababayan ang matutulungan,” he said.

The businessman-turned-public servant then shared his commitment in providing quality and stable employment in the country by expressing his plans to help open nine more new BPO companies across the Philippines that could create 10,000 jobs.

“Sa itinayong BPO na ito sa Plaridel, 450 jobs per shift ang nalikha; sa dalawang shift 900. Hindi lang po dito natatapos ang plano natin, siyam na ganito pa ang bubuksan kaya 10,000 na bagong trabaho ang magagawa natin,” the Bicolano lawmaker said.

“Bukod pa rito, mayroon pang tinatawag na ‘multiplier effect’, kung saan makalilikha pa at makadadagdag ng kita sa libo-libong ‘indirect jobs,’” he added.

Lee also underscored that creating quality jobs in the Philippines would help resolve the perennial problem of Filipino families being forced to separate from each other to take on jobs abroad as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) in pursuit of a better life.

“Patuloy nating pagsikapan at gawin natin ang lahat ng ating makakaya para dumating ang panahon na hindi na maging sapilitan ang pangingibang-bansa para guminhawa ang pamilya. Alam naman natin na napakasakit mahiwalay sa pamilya,” the lawmaker from Bicol said.

“Marami nga po sa atin, nabibiktima ng illegal recruiter, ng human trafficking, at pinagmamalupitan at inaabuso ng amo. Hindi po dapat manatili ang ganitong sitwasyon kung saan para bang walang choice ang marami nating kababayan. Sabi ko nga, Filipinos deserve better. We should demand better,” he added.

Citing the recent onslaught of Super Typhoon Carina, Lee lamented that many OFWs suffered anxiety from being unable to contact their loved ones amid news of floods ravaging houses.

“Imagine nung nangyari ang bagyo, nabalitaan nila na malakas ang ulan, at lampas-tao ang baha na parang nangyari nung Ondoy, tapos hindi nila ma-contact ang kanilang mga mahal sa buhay. Paano iyon? Napakahirap na mangamba para sa kanilang kaligtasan, habang malayo sa kanila,” he said.

Lee then urged cooperation between the private sector and the government to create more jobs for Filipinos—to change their mindset that there’s no progress in staying here in the Philippines.

“Sa ating gobyerno at sa mga nasa pribadong sektor, lahat po tayo dapat magdamayan para mapagaan ang pasanin ng taumbayan. Magtulungan tayo sa pagsusulong ng de-kalidad at tiyak na trabaho sa bansa, para mabago na ang pananaw na walang pag-asang umasenso dito sa Pilipinas,” Lee pointed out.

“Hindi na pwede ang pwede na. Deserve ng Pilipino ang gobyerno na hindi pinapabayaan ang mamamayan at nagbibigay ng oportunidad na umasenso sa sariling bayan,” he remarked.

From modest beginnings in Sorsogon, Bicol, where his father opened his first Goodluck Store 60 years ago, Lee was able to expand their business into the LKY Group of Companies, which has interests in the retail, food, real estate, mall and town development and hospitality sectors. LKY currently has over 3,000 employees across the country, bringing growth, employment, and livelihood opportunities to towns and cities all over the Philippines.

Lee also co-founded several businesses and projects which generated jobs for thousands of Filipinos. For him, providing jobs guarantees progress not only to those who are employed and their families, but to the whole nation as well.

“Creation of millions of jobs must become a national policy. Kaya prayoridad nating lumikha pa ng tiyak at maraming trabaho. Nagawa na natin ito noon, ginagawa natin ngayon at gagawin pa natin. Trabaho, gawin natin. Murang pagkain, gawin natin. Kalusugan, tutukan natin, gawin natin! Pag nagawa natin ito, siguradong Winner Tayo Lahat!” he said.