US envoy pays short visit at New Government Center
BACOLOD CITY -- US Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney paid a short visit last Friday at the New Government Center upon the invitation of Mayor Evelio Leonardia before proceeding to the Provincial Capitol for the induction of 64 US Peace Corps Volunteers.
Kenney also met Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson and some members of the Sangguniang Panglungsod. Upon her arrival at the main lobby of the New Government Center, Kenney paused for a while in a formal pictorials with the Local Chief Executive, other city officials and invited guests and immediately went to the ceremonial hall of the New Government Center where Leonardia sat down beside the US Flag while the US envoy in the Philippine Flag.
Leonardia told the local press that Kenney said, "I should be seated where the flag of America is but because of the friendship between the two countries, I think I better stay where the flag of the Philippines is."
Kenney said that she knows Leonardia because they met each other in a number of occasions in Manila and the Mayor wanted her to see his New Government Center which is amazing.
She described the New Government Center as "gorgeous" and fitted for a "growing city". The envoy was also entertained by the Masskara Dancers from Brgy. Mandalagan along with her visiting party.
Meanwhile, the City Hall Press got an ambush interview with her Press Attache who also came to Bacolod for the very first time. Press Attache Rebecca Brown Thompson said that "US businesses really see the Philippines as a good destination for business and the call center industry".
Thompson observed that the reason why the call center industry has been booming here in Bacolod is because of good customer service. Even the Local Chief Executive relayed to Kenney that statement issued by Convergys Country Manager Marife Zamora that in the whole Philippines, Bacolod has the highest rate of passing in terms of applicants because of good English proficiency.
On other hand, Leonardia suggested that some US Peace Corps Volunteers will be asked to teach English at the Bacolod City College.
Meanwhile, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan)-Negros Secretary General Felipe Gelle expects that after Kenney's visit in Bacolod, it will be followed by the US Intelligence operatives and even US combat troops."It is not therefore surprising that the Naval ships or a transport plane will visit Negros in the coming months," Gelle said.
According to him the United States is considering making Negros as a newest war front of its global war of terror. "We are verifying a report that a joint RP-US naval exercise will be conducted in the Visayan Sea and that the US troops are arriving in Cebu," Bayan-Negros said.