Should you lose your identity by being a Virtual Assistant?

I went to the mall today and had the chance to sit beside two strangers at a coffee shop.

I didn't need to ask them where they were working because by simply looking at them, I could very well identify them to be working with a call center here in the Philippines.

Our country has slowly followed India's footsteps when it comes to providing virtual assistance services. Everywhere you look, you'd find call centers springing up like mushrooms.

Not that I do not like the idea of being able to generate more jobs for my fellow Filipinos. I provide the same services myself. I just felt a bit sad while I was sort of eavesdropping on their conversation. Not only did they dress like foreigners... (Kind of weird considering that our climate did not support the kind of wardrobe they wore... no offense)... but they were talking like people not from our land.

Should it really be like that? Is it a sacrifice that we all have to make simply because we are employed by foreign counterparts?

I know I'm a bit new to this business and I still have a long way to go. But I've always made it a point to try and keep my orientation. Being a virtual assistant is just like any other job that I would perform locally. It is really a plus if you are able to flaunt to others that you are earning considerably with this trade but to actually lose yourself and think that you are American or European was simply too much for me to bear.

I am Filipino... and a very proud one at that. I believe that with all my dealings with my clients, I've managed (in my own special way) to prove that we could level with them. Be sincere enough and show them that we're not merely paid labor but that virtual friendships can and may exist amongst us.

Why do we need to hide our origins if we can speak and understand the same language. It's more on the comprehension of words spoken, is it not? Would it be a negative point deducted to foreign employers if ever clients find out they're outsourcing?

I'm very thankful for the opportunity that is being bestowed on me and my group. We may be referred to by some as "thick accented VPA's" but we always try to prove that we're really worth each penny spent on us. It is a good thing that part of our role playing doesn't involve mimicking... or pretending to be someone we're not.

Now tell me... should we or should we not be like this?