Arroyo lauds Bacolod
for ICT industry growth
BY CARLA GOMEZ

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday lauded Bacolod City for being one of the top 10 new wave urban destinations for Information and Communications Technology, and congratulated its leaders for the city’s being rated number one in the best business environment criterion.

Arroyo briefly visited Teleperformance in Bacolod City as part of her cyber corridor tour, pointing out that the Philippines BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) industry has become a global power house.

She said “Bacolod’s best assets are its people and their progressive mindset that spills over to the BPO employees who come from different parts of the region.”

Another call center is opening in Bacolod City middle of this year bringing to eight the total number of contact center companies in the city since 2004, which have already generated 7,000 jobs.

Panasiatic Call Center Inc. chief operating officer Nabil Edmond Salamouni yesterday said they are opening a call center in Bacolod this year with 800 seats.

The construction of the 2-storey building with an area of 2,500 meters will be undertaken by the Gonzaga family, hopefully next week, and they hope to open the call center in June, he said.

Bacolod journalists raring to ask President Gloria Arroyo questions about pressing Negros Occidental concerns didn’t get to ask them, because she got up to leave when a reporter attempted to ask a question about the survey rating of administration standard bearer Gilberto Teodoro.

The president only stayed when questions about the country’s cyber corridor were asked.

Arroyo said she did not want to answer other questions because she did not want to divert the discussion away from her cyber corridor visit to Bacolod.