One long-term debate about relationships in the modern world concerns an age-old question. In the context of online communication, is it better for people looking for partners to text, or to talk? The end results of both means of message transmission are the same, but which is really best when it comes to the desire to make a good impression on someone?

Texting is most certainly a sign of the times. Young people today are used to living in an increasingly homogenized society, where they are far more likely to follow the pack in terms of their musical and other cultural tastes. Social media ensures that there are recommend films and television shows they should be watching because ‘everyone else is'. Fashion icons leap from magazine pages – and for all the taglines about being ‘bold' or ‘energetic' or autonomous', there is a far stronger prevailing desire nor to look too out of place. What this all means for today's singletons is that their attitude to romance is very often far more disposable than their parents' generation.

The celebrated ‘first date' is easily conquered in the world of texting. Where people are using websites or apps to engage with potential partners, a lot of those awkward first questions can be dealt with in the privacy of the home. Where chemistry was once relied upon to inform the decisions about whether or not someone was suitable material for a ‘second date', a series of brief text exchanges can accomplish the same process.

For many youngsters, actually going out on a social engagement with someone who is, to all intents and purposes, a stranger, is simply a bizarre concept. Nowadays social media allows for all sorts of subtle interrogation techniques to be enacted. A Facebook profile reveals a lot about someone's personality, interests, hobbies and friends. This platform also allows for informal get-togethers that can be conducted under the cover of private messages. These exchanges can allow individuals to determine the suitability of potential partners, without the social awkwardness of embarrassing confrontations.

There are a hundred and one reasons why texting is preferable to talking. Some people are socially awkward, through natural shyness, or perhaps some disability. Same sex partnerships can be explored in an avenue that is completely free from the disapproving looks of narrow-minded onlookers.

Using social media, people can be far less inhibited in their interactions. This can lead to truer images of their personalities shining through. In the more traditional notion of blind dates, there can be a tendency to put up a defensive front.

According to statements released by three international credit rating agencies recently, the gaming sector in the Philippines will continue to experience a double-digit revenue growth. The main reason for this is the anticipated opening of additional privately-owned casinos in the country.

Fitch Ratings, who published its ‘Eye in the Sky Series: Philippines' report, this expansion will continue to be driven along by government-owned Philippine Amusement, and Gaming Corporation's – or Pagcor's – gaming complex Entertainment City.

The report outlined the fact that: ‘The initial results of the first two casinos operated under provisional licenses granted by Pagcor, namely Resorts World Manila and Solaire, are encouraging relative to the investments made. Fitch Ratings expects double digit gaming revenue growth to continue.

City of Dreams Manila is unlike anything you have experienced before. Envision a world of exhilarating gaming spaces, world-class dining experiences, 5-Star accommodations, iconic architectural art such as the Fortune Egg and the world's first, DreamPlay. City of Dreams Manila provides exhilarating gaming facilities, international standards of retail, world-class hospitality and other innovative lifestyle and entertainment offerings.

Macau casino giant Melco Crown Entertainment are behind the City of Dreams Manila project. They recently announced that their luxury hotel chain Nobu Hotel will become the second major hotel brand at the casino it is currently building in Pasay City's gaming complex.

Fitch Ratings did underscore their comments with a note of caution, stating that the Filipino gaming growth trajectory beyond 2017 would be much harder to forecast. This was because of the constraints and risks that are liable to be in place once the next wave of Macau projects commence operations.

A spokesman stated: ‘We think it will be difficult for the Philippines to surpass Singapore in terms of gaming revenues - roughly $6 billion - before the end of this decade'.

Nevertheless the Philippines does enjoy a reputation for being a relatively sure gaining market. Several diverse forms of gambling are available to customers, including casino-based games – operated by Pagcor.

At present the main operators who are licensed to operate in Pagcor's Entertainment City. This includes Travellers International Hotel Group, a joint venture between Genting Hong Kong and Alliance Global and Enrique Razon's Bloomberry Resorts Corp, a local Filipino conglomerate.

As well as these gaming enterprises there is also a joint venture between Melco Crown and Henry Sy's Belle Corporation; as well as Kazuo Okada's Tiger Resorts. Pagcor happens to be the key regulator in the Philippines, operating a dozen casinos, a quarter of which are in the capital, Manila.

Recently, the Pagcor chairman and chief executive, Cristino L. Naguiat Junior, stated that Philippines gaming industry was on track to hit its 25 percent growth. This was mainly due to the opening of billionaire Enrique Razon Junior's Solaire Resort.

An excellent litmus test of how business is evolving in the Philippines is to consider call centers. The Philippines now has the greatest number of individuals involved in this key 21st century industry anywhere in the planet. Examining how managers are balancing the increase in demand with the need to continually improve the customer service their businesses offer is key to understanding business developments.

The way call center staff interact with their customers is now based on taking on-board a host of factors that are now prevalent in the contemporary world, such as the fact contact is just as likely to be made via social media outlets, web browsers or tablets as by telephone. Coping with variations in customer demand is causing call centers to undergo a dramatic shift.

One of the fundamental ways in which managers Philippines call centers are now acting differently than they did as recently as two or three years ago is in the degree of outsourcing. This has given rise to a phenomenon known as ‘business process outsourcing' (BPO), providing a service that, on the surface looks and acts like a call center, while actually being something altogether more complex. A BPO outlet will certainly satisfy customer demand as its ‘raison d'etre'. But in doing so it employs a diverse arsenal of tools and traits. It will include finance, accounting and human resources specialities; even, where required, a degree of paralegal work. For many onlookers, this is where the future lies for customer service.

In this respect it is worth considering the experience of India. Currently the Philippines employs far more call center agents than its distant Asian neighbor. However, India has a higher percentage of employees who work in BPO outlets. As time moves on, more and more of these agents are moving away from ‘traditional call center' type activities, and taking positions within BPO organizations which offer non-voice based work. This demands higher skills levels, as well as being more lucrative.

By considering the revenue potential of BPO compared to call centers, business leaders in the Philippines can see the obvious benefits to the economy. India's total revenue from BPO in 2010 was $70 billion, compared with the Philippines total of a mere $9 billion.

Avaya are the communications development company currently providing assistance to major Philippines call center operators, such as Teleserv. Amongst the services they are promoting is the ‘Click to Chat' facility. This is available to customers in real-time, accessible via their browsers. If there's anything they don't understand on the screen, or that they are hearing in the introductory telephone spiel, then they therefore have the option to get this sorted on the spot. This will also explain how to navigate to the most appropriate area.

The benefits of having this service at the customers' fingertips are immense. One of the commonest gripes amongst customers is the fact that while they are engaged in a phone call, if there is something they don't understand they must wait until there is an appropriate point for seeking assistance or clarification. During this time the original purpose of their call can slip by the wayside.

Click to Chat couldn't be simper. All the customer has to do is to input the query into a box, click the appropriate button, and then wait a short while to read the agent's reply. As well as this facility, Avaya have been developing video-based help products to empower their customers like never before.

One example cited was the case of a major client – a printer company – who were the reason for a high volume of call center traffic (principally from customers wishing to find out how to replace a particular cartridge). When this was realized, Avaya have commissioned a short film that focuses on the correct way to deal with this issue.

So rather than spending a deal of time on the phone with a call center agent, trying to explain a situation while a customer tried his best to follow the oral instructions, a video could be dispatched. In this way the problem was ticked-off at the agent's end in seconds, rather than much longer periods of time. The saving in terms of man hours has been considerable.

For the customer, there is also the sense of being a valued client, since receiving a video is a much more personalized commitment than having an agent offer a series of suggestions down a phone line. Practically, it is not always easy for a customer to hear instructions, and then enact them, especially if there are a series of steps to be followed. A video allows for a far more logical and less time-consuming step-by-step process to be enacted.