Despite ongoing political repression and pandemic challenges, BIEN strengthened its organising and advocacy for BPO workers’ rights across the Philippines.
Key achievements
Through strategic organising, BIEN:
- Trained 23 new paralegals (16 women, 7 men)
- Won 80/20 work-from-home arrangements during pandemic
- Established five new chapters in BPO hotspots
- Recruited 192 new members (Sept 2022-2023)
- Reactivated five crucial worker committees focusing on:
- Occupational Safety and Health
- Gender issues
- Paralegal affairs
- Research
- Socio-cultural matters
- Conducted ten seminars averaging 12 new participants each
- Held eight mapping workshops covering 22 BPO companies
- Organised ten protest demonstrations (exceeding target of three)
- Conducted six paralegal training sessions
- Successfully launched new website (July 2024)
Challenges faced
- Murder of organiser Alex Dolorosa in April 2023
- Continued “red-tagging” of BIEN officers and organisers
- COVID-19 restrictions limiting in-person activities
- Technical challenges with website development
- Transport costs and availability limiting participation
- Difficulty maintaining consistent online attendance
- Challenges in sustaining member engagement in committees
Project impact
Despite severe challenges, BIEN:
- Advanced gender rights through workplace policy
- Built sustainable online training capacity
- Strengthened paralegal support networks
- Expanded presence in key BPO centres
- Developed new approaches to digital organising
- Created foundation for ongoing gender and LGBTQI+ advocacy
