City, academe should strive more for IT industry, says Sigue
BACOLOD CITY – Sangguniang Panglungsod Member Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, chairman of the Committee on Communications, encouraged the city government and the academe to work more and design programs for human resource and skills advancement to prepare those who will be working and employed later in the fastest growing industry of Information Technology (IT) in the city.
Sigue, who happens to be the prime mover of IT business in the city, said Bacolod has just started and reached one piece of the pie which is the entry of call centers in the city but there are still other aspect of outsourcing services which the city and the academe should take a look. These include financial services, animation, medical transcriptions and other back-office services.
Sigue said the city should design more attractive plan to encourage other investments because stiff competitions exist among the cities outside mega Manila in terms of packages offered to interested IT investors.
The lady councilor is very proud to say that Bacolod belongs to Top 5 in the list of next wave cities of Business Process Association of the Philippines (BPAP). The group envisioned additional one million jobs through Road Map 2010 Philippines.
This is something to be proud of but also a great challenge for Bacolod to strive very hard as other cities did.
Sigue cited Convergy's which will be officially opened by no less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on October 1. She said, we don't know how many thousands of seats they need the time the call center will expand in the next years. "So, there should be many preparations for these because jobs are now waiting, but the country as a whole is lacking of capable people." Sigue added.
Peace and order is also one factor which the local government should look into to protect the graveyard shift call center employees.
"It is a known fact that once they employed in the city, they need houses so do we have enough amenities and lodging services for them?" Sigue asked. "Are our real estate developers briefed of what should be the scenario later?"
Eventually, locators will consider also locally based managers and supervisors later so do we have career advancement program and course curriculum for mid-level supervisors? What are the programs of the academe for this? These issues have been raised in the national level but it is better that we in the local should talk this in advance in preparation of Bacolod's future.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia, on other hand, said the city is doing anything to encourage more investors in the IT business. The upcoming visit of the president to grace the opening of Convergy's is an expression that no less than the highest official of the country already identified Bacolod as one of the city outside Manila that improved a lot as investors perceived it.
Leonardia is very proud when he was informed by Convergy's that Bacolod-based applicants got the highest passing percentage compared to other cities in the Philippines.