The British Broadcasting Corp. and the Cable News Network rendered a series of features recently citing the 30 to 35 percent growth of the country's Information and Communications Technology-Business Process Outsourcing (ICT-BPO) sector, compared to India, which used to be the call center capital, shrunk to an all-time low of only between 10 to 15 percent.
The same reports indicated that most American firms prefer the Philippines as destination of locators because the country is the second biggest English speaking nation after the US.
"This only shows that our ICT Utilization Program under the Negros First is in the right direction. With this steady rise in the demand for call center agents and state-of-the-art ICT complexes in the country as new economic zones then Negros Occidental must benefit from this positive trend," Marañon said.
Negros Occidental and its capital, Bacolod City, are among the Top 3 destinations for ICT-BPO locators in the Philippines and Marañon said all the more that the local government, like the province, must provide a conducive business environment that will not only encourage the private sector to invest but also respond to the call of the National Government to promote public-private partnerships.
Marañon had initiated the establishment of the Negros First Cyber Center (NFCC), a modern IT facility, which will eventually transform the historic Paglaum Sports Complex into a mini "Silicon Valley.”
The establishment of the Cyber Center is expected to generate 20,000 indirect employment opportunities to Negrenses and 6,000 more direct jobs for call center agents with combined incomes close to P1 billion.
The ground floor of the NFCC offers 105 commercial spaces but to date, more than 120 potential concessionaires are lining up to rent, while the second and third levels are intended for ICT-BPO locators, Marañon told the Provincial Council members in a briefing he made late last week together with ICT volunteer-consultant Jocelle Batapa-Sigue.
Construction of the NFCC is funded by a loan with the first phase costing P450 million and the second phase, which comprises electrical works, generators to ensure steady power supply and elevators, among others, amounting to P180 million.
As per results of the feasibility study conducted by Batapa-Sigue's team and a pool of engineers, the NFCC will pay for itself as it is expected to earn P63.6 million annually from the lease of spaces, the councilor said.
Marañon said the target of completion for the Cyber Center is in December this year at the earliest, although the Provincial Board is yet to approve the P180 million additional loan for phase two of the project.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Teresa Ellera
Quelle/Source: Sun.Star, 13.07.2013
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