You shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds you.
To those not familiar with the idiom, it is essentially advice against provoking someone whom you owe a great deal to because, well, you rely on them for food and sustenance, or for a roof over your head, or for the money in your pocket... you see where I’m going with this.
The AI Overview has a more dramatic explanation. According to it, “the phrase is a metaphorical warning to treat benefactors with respect, lest they withdraw their support and you lose what you depend on.”
Well, the idiom popped into my mind because of a recent development here in Cebu City.
We all know what happened on Sept. 30, 2025. Many Cebuanos were jolted to their senses when the earthquake struck. Many were ready to call it a night, but some, like those employed in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector, were still at work.
Whether tucked in bed or in the middle of a shower or trying to explain where the power button is to an irate foreign customer (I assume that’s what call center agents do), we all felt the violent shaking. And it’s safe to say that we all had that immediate urge to go outside. Every single one of us.
Now I don’t know if the reports are right or have been exaggerated, but some BPO companies in Cebu City are in hot water because they allegedly exposed workers to “imminent danger.” The Department of Labor and Employment 7 went as far as to temporarily halt the operations of one firm for alleged unsafe conditions in its workplace.
I’m not saying the agency was wrong in doing so, or that I support what it did. I thought it was a knee-jerk reaction that could have been avoided had both sides sat down and discussed the problem like civilized people. And while I admire one local official for taking up the cudgels for the affected workers, he could have been less inflammatory and antagonistic toward the BPO firms in question.
I get it. The workers were scared, but so was everybody else, including the firm’s management; of that I am sure. Even I was at wit’s end. Heck, my relatives thought I was speaking in tongues and possessed by the devil himself because I was letting out a loud, guttural moan. Because damn it if I get caught dead yelling, “Earthquake! Earthquake!”
Anyway, I’m not very familiar with the nature of BPO work, but I do know that the majority, if not all, of their clients are based abroad. In all likelihood, they have no idea what is going on here. I hate to say it, but we could be neck-deep in trouble and the clients wouldn’t give a hoot. I don’t mean to sound crass, but that’s just how it is. The workers know what they signed up for. What do they expect?
Of course, they expect their employer to have an Emergency and Disaster Preparedness and Response Plan under its Occupational Safety and Health Program, or a Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Control system, a working Safety and Health Committee and, for the firm whose operations were temporarily halted, a Construction Safety and Health Program for ongoing fit-out construction in one of its occupied floors, whatever that means.
But can you also blame management for allegedly forcing workers to return to production floors even when exits were blocked, for offering workers double pay to continue working despite safety risks, or for ordering workers to resume operations just 30 minutes after the tremor without structural clearance? Given the circumstance, it probably didn’t have a choice if it didn’t want to lose its clients from across the world. But it may have crossed the line if it actually threatened workers with job loss or NTEs (notices to explain) for leaving work, or penalized them with pay cuts or suspension for absences the next day or denied them medical aid or psychological debriefing after the incident.
Both parties should have taken a deep breath before delving into the issue. No doubt they both suffered mental and emotional distress, but to go to such an extreme… what do you think will happen? The BPO sector might think they’re better off somewhere else where things like earthquakes don’t happen. I mean, let’s be realistic. At the end of the day, it all boils down to numbers, not feelings. Why do you think they’ve set up shop here? Because it’s cheaper.
And what do you think will come out of this? Cebu City could face a BPO exodus. Thousands could lose their jobs. And trust me, there are other cities in this country that will welcome the industry with open arms.