The buzzword "Business Process Outsourcing" indeed bears its own flash value in business-speak.

Take a look at this definition:

Business process outsourcing (BPO) is the contracting of a specific business task, such as payroll, to a third-party service provider. Usually, BPO is implemented as a cost-saving measure for tasks that a company requires but does not depend upon to maintain their position in the marketplace. BPO is often divided into two categories: back office outsourcing which includes internal business functions such as billing or purchasing, and front office outsourcing which includes customer-related services such as marketing or tech support.

BPO that is contracted outside a company's own country is sometimes called offshore outsourcing. BPO that is contracted to a company's neighboring country is sometimes called nearshore outsourcing, and BPO that is contracted with the company's own county is sometimes called onshore outsourcing.

Ooooh it sounds so modern.  Nevertheless, I remember that in a time not so long ago and a land not so far away, this was already being practiced.

The purpose for the principal entities engaging the BPO operations was not so much about cost saving measures.  It was more of augmenting the current workforce under regular employment because of the immense task and literal ground to cover.

The BPO third party contractors had to travel from a neighboring island and reside in company provided dwellings within the industry complex.

So down to specifics....

Time not so long ago : around 50 to 70 years back
Land not so far away : Negros
Principal entity : Sugar plantations
BPO operations task : carga (load sugar cane on trucks/railroad carriage) y tapas (cut cane)
Literal ground to cover : average of 1,200 hectares per principal entity
Neighboring island : Panay
BPO third party contractors : sacadas


More Negros stories and Sugar tales soon :-)