IN PREPARATION for the 2006 SIFE World Cup currently going on in Paris, France, the SIFE Team attended a weeklong training on personality development, Aug. 22-27, in one of the biggest call centers in the country based in Pampanga – the Cyber City Teleservices Ltd. (CCTL) Inc.

In the Philippines, Cyber City and Unilever Inc. are among the biggest sponsors of SIFE in partnership with business firms and higher education institutions in the country. Aside from monetary contributions, Cyber City also sponsored the lodging for the SIFE Team.

Cyber City operates eight Customers Relation Management (CRM) centers in the Philippines, the main center of which is the campus-style CRM center in Pampanga. One of the pioneer CRM investors in the country, Cyber City provides services for leading US-based multinational corporations, TV stations, infomercials, world-renowned brand name catalogers, and health care and financial services. The American and Filipino management staff provides 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week customer service for its US-based clients that generates more than $30-M a month in retail transaction value. CCTL already employs more than 2,500 workers but it still needs about 1,500 employees for their expansion program that will be completed by 2007.

Meanwhile, market economics, success skills, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and business ethics will be among educational topics to be discussed in the SIFE international competition.

The SIFE Team has been in Paris since Sept. 11 to compete with other schools from all over the world.  The competition is expected to end Sept. 14.