I normally would write happy thoughts this Christmas day but tragic news from Davao left me deeply depressed instead.
As of this writing, at least 37 call center agents have perished in an inferno that razed a Davao City mall where their call center holds office. The fire struck Saturday morning just a few minutes before the mall opens and just before most of those midshift call center agents would have logged out. But the mall never got to open and the midshift never got to finish their shift.
The cause of the fire and why in heaven's name those 37 call center agents never got out is under investigation and we will leave it to the authorities to answer those questions and bring justice to the hapless victims. I just cannot help but think what if the fire had struck just a little after the mall had opened and after most of those call center agents have already logged out. Would the fire have been less tragic?
Considering they were still logged in when the fire broke out, those 37 call center agents perished in the line of duty. They died while performing their duty. Call center agents have often been referred to as "mga bayaning puyat" (sleepless heroes) because their work often requires them to be on graveyard shifts. The fact that those 37 call center agents perished in the line of duty makes their death somewhat heroic.
Chances are, most of those 37 call center agents probably have shifts on Christmas Eve. Chances are, those call center agents may have already told family and friends they "won't be home for Christmas". They all have no idea how tragically true those words would be.
Just an advise, in the event of a catastrophic emergency such as a fire, an active shooter or an earthquake, quickly excuse yourself from your customer, log out if you still can then go for the nearest safe exit. Don't even bother running to the lockers to grab your things. Your safety is paramount. CSATs and iPhones you can always replace.
As you read this post, please say a little prayer for those call center agents we tragically lost this Christmas. May their families find closure and justice. More importantly, we also pray tragedies like this never happen again.
A blessed Christmas to all.
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