Eastern Visayas ports included in 17 priority port projects set for completion in 2007

Three Eastern Visayas ports are included in the 17 priority port projects in the various parts of the country which are set for completion in 2007.

Presidential Management Staff (PMS) Director General and Intrastructure Monitoring Task Force Chief Cerge Remonde said that the Liloan Ferry Terminal Port at Liloan, Southern Leyte; the Limasawa Port in Southern Leyte and the Naval Port in Naval, Biliran are included in the 17 priority infrastructure projects which upon the directive of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the government is set to complete this year.

The three ports are included in the Medium Term Plan Development and Investment Plan of Eastern Visayas which form part of the country’s Medium Term Development and Investment Plan under President Arroyo’s Super Region concept.

When completed the 17 ports are expected to reduce the travel time and cargo transport costs from Luzon to the Visayas and Mindanao and vice versa. Secretary Remonde said. He pointed out that due to the SRNH, travel time from Mindanao through the Visayas region to Luzon and vice versa has been cut by 10 hours.

Aside from this, Remonde said transport costs for passengers were cut by 40 percent while cargo costs were cut by 30 percent.

Secretary Remonde said the 17 priority port projects form part of the 28 port projects the President identified in her Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH) program at the beginning of her administration and the Roro Nautical Highway under the Super Region concept.

At an aggregate cost of P23.5 billion spread until 2010, the SRNH aims to facilitate the end-to-end transport of passengers, goods and services from production to population centers to boost and maximize the economic potentials of the country's five Super Regions.

The other ports that are scheduled to be finished within this year are the Dingalan Port in Aurora Province; Batangas Port, Batangas; Cawit Port, Boac, Marinduque; Cawayan Port, Masbate; Pantao Port, Libon, Albay; Siquijor Port, Siquijor; Jagna Port, Bohol; Ubay Port, Bohol; Guisiliban Port, Camiguin; Cagayan de Oro Port, Misamis Oriental; Davao (Sasa) Port, Davao City; Balbagon (Mambajao) Port, Mambajao, Camiguin; Subic Bay Port Development Project; and Lucena Port Passenger Terminal Building in Quezon. (PIA)

Bohol Emulates Negros Economic Program

A 16-member team coming from the different offices and departments of the Provincial government of Bohol visits Negros Occidental for its "Local Benchmarking Study-Tour" of the Provincial Government's Economic Enterprise Development Department (EEDD), established under the administration of Governor Joseph G. Marañon.

Bohol is set to establish and operate its own Public Economic Enterprise Management.

The delegation is interested in learning from the experience of the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental's development and management of the EEDD and at the same time visit various government enterprises around the province.

To date, the provincial government is managing various tourist spots like the Mambucal Mountain Resort and is strongly supporting cottage industries and livelihood associations like the Association of Negros Producers and the like.

Meanwhile, efforts to help boost entrepreneurship even to its less-able citizens, the City of Kabankalan initiate an entrepreneurship seminar to 20 visual, hearing and orthopedic impaired persons.

The participants who were identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development attended the two-day seminar on characteristics, disadvantages and risks of an entrepreneur. They were also taught business opportunity identification, production and marketing plans of an entrepreneur and product presentation.

These are programs in support of the economic agenda of the national government to strengthen the economy.

"The country is on the final relay of the economic homerun and the President and her entire team are resolutely focused on keeping the winning edge by driving more investments, advancing tourism and investing in vital infrastructure," a Malacañang statement said. (PIA)

PGMA cites immense contribution of BPOs to jobs creation program

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo cited Monday the enormous contribution of the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, specifically the business process outsourcing (BPO) players, to her administration's thrust to create at least six to 10 million jobs by 2010.

At the inauguration this morning of the first Sykes Enterprises Inc. Center in Cebu province, the President thanked Chuck Sykes, president and chief operating officer of the global company, for the direct jobs as well as the indirect employment opportunities created with the establishment of six Sykes centers in the Philippines.

"May you have more Sykes (centers) here in the Philippines. Thank you for the 10,000 jobs you have given the Filipinos and also for the jobs you have given for the businesses around your BPO centers," the President said.

"Even if they don't have the call center English, they get jobs because of you," the President told Sykes, referring to the thousands of indirect employment created around the BPO centers such as those benefiting janitors, waiters, jeepney drivers, among others.

The ICT sector, specifically the call centers and BPOs established in various parts of the country, has greatly contributed to the national economic growth with the service sector topping the list.

Sykes' senior vice president and managing director for Asia-Pacific Rim Mike Henderson said the Philippines' booming economy made Sykes decide to "expand our business" in the country.

"We continue to look for ways on creating jobs and contribute to the local economy," Henderson said, adding that with the government's support, they "look forward to expanding our business even more."

The President led the ribbon-cutting and the unveiling of the marker at the main entrance of Sykes-Cebu located on F. Cabahug Street, Cebu.

The President then made a quick tour of the call center operations area and interacted with some of the Cebuano staff of Sykes.

Sykes is a global leader in providing outsourced customer contact management solutions and services in the BPO arena. It has some 17,000 staff members in 16 countries.

Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, Sykes now has six BPO centers in the Philippines, of which five are in Metro Manila.

In its Cebu center alone, Sykes has 1,700 employees and aims to increase that number to 2,700.

The inauguration of the Sykes-Cebu coincided with the 10th anniversary of Sykes in the Philippines.

Earlier, the President visited the exhibit of Cebu's furniture makers at the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug.

The Cebu furniture makers have been among the country's leading exporters. (PNA)

Cebu sees vast potential growth for ICT

The number of software developers in Cebu today has more than tripled in figure since 2001 which reckons Cebu’s massive potential growth in the area of information and communication technology (ICT).

Bonifacio Belen, chair of the ICT-Link Asia that will witness the conduct of the Cebu ICT 2007 International Conference and Exhibition in June, bared that there are now 3,500 software developers compared to only 850 six years ago.

Workers in the ICT-enabled services such as call centers and data encoding have reached 18T compared to only 7T a few years back largely due to the presence of the top six call center firms that have branches here, according to Belen.

“We’ve got something to say when it comes to ICT,” Belen told reporters during the recent Cebu media launching of the Cebu Business Month (CBM). The ICT conference and exhibition is one of the highlights of the CBM, a yearly celebration in June spearheaded by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) to promote the province as an ideal investment haven.

India is considering the Philippines as getting closer to competing with them especially in the global outsourcing market with 266T Filipinos now employed in the business process outsourcing (BPO) in the country, Belen said.

Currently, the Philippines has only one to three percent world market share in the global outsourcing with India still leading the way with more than 50 percent of the global market share in the ICT field, this is said.

Belen said the country hopes to capture around 20 to 30 percent world market share in the BPO which the ICT conference and exhibition aims to initially pave the way towards that direction.

The objective of the ICT conference is to bring together 150 IT leaders in Asia from 11 countries with a minimum of 15 delegates per nation. About 40 IT experts have already confirmed attendance to the conference coming from India, Beijng in China and the US with the discussion to focus on how Asia can collaborate in the ICT field, this is learned.

For the second day, an Asian Summit of IT leaders is set where talks will zero in on the landmarks for possible collaboration among the participating nations such as in the area of human resource development, Belen further said.

As the CBM cashes in on the twin potentials of tourism and ICT growth in Cebu, Belen said the CCCI wants to initiate a calendar of Asian IT events where participating nations can network with each other in circulating IT events that will be happening within the region. The benefits that will be reaped through these efforts will increase Cebu’s capability to deliver which is inspiring for all of us, Belen said. (PIA)

International company signs MOA with Cebu City Government

Bigfoot Global Solutions signed yesterday a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Cebu City Government in relation to its plan to lease a two-hectare property at the SRP.

Cebu Investments Promotions Center (CIPC) executive director Joel Mari Yu said Bigfoot is preparing for the expansion of its International Academy of Film and Television at the 300-hectare SRP property.

He said the MOA signed between Bigfoot Global Solutions and the City Government, which is the developer of SRP, grants the private firm a 25-year lease term on the property. Bigfoot has the option to renew the contract.

Bigfoot is expected to pay an advance payment of P28 million within five years.

At a monthly lease rate of $40 centavos per square meter, the City Government is expected to earn about P400,000 a month or nearly P5 million a year from the agreement, Yu said.

Aside from the lease agreement on the SRP property, Bigfoot and City Hall are also finalizing the sale of a 16-hectare parcel of land, which is meant for integrated development, near Pond F of the SRP.

The project will be used for a state-of-the-art movie studio with sound stage, said Yu.

He said that part of the Film and Television Academy expansion is the construction of a sound stage facility, which will be another first in Cebu.

In an earlier interview, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña described the move of Bigfoot to located at SRP as a “more exciting development.”

The Bigfoot project will reportedly include a mega yacht club, a five-star hotel, and an all-in-one leisure and commercial facility that will be a first of its kind in Cebu.

According to Osmeña, because of SRP’s strategic location as a “gateway to the South,” many investors are now eyeing the SRP as a feasible site to do business.

Aside from Bigfoot, SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SMPHI) had expressed interest in the SRP. Earlier this month, SMPHI bared plans to construct two additional shopping centers in the province.

Other investors that had shown interest in the SRP are: the Filinvest group, which plans to build a commercial complex; Cebutainer Systems Corp., a Singaporean company that will need 20 hectares; Taiwanese firm Paul Yu Group of Companies; JY Construction; Arcenas Group; Pakna-an Central Development Corp., Mactan Rock Industries Corp., King Group of Companies; and the University of Cebu.(SS)

Cebu X to feature lifestyle furniture

Local furniture manufacturers will feature pieces that evoke the typical Cebuano lifestyle in an upcoming exhibit, the “Cebu X 2007: Everything Inspires.”

"In every show we think of using new materials. There is no limit to creativity," said Michael Basubas, Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation (CFIF) president.

He said this year’s Cebu International Furniture and Furnishings Exhibition will be held at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino from Feb. 26 to March 1.

The exhibit will feature lifestyle furniture and furnishings, contract furniture and furnishings and outdoor furniture.

The items that will be on display would include multi-media pieces made from indigenous materials such as rattan, wicker, bamboo, wrought iron, wood and buri.

Furnishings made of non-traditional materials like laminated shells, stones, and animal bones and skin will also be on display.

The public, who will view the show on March 1 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., should expect more pieces that evoke a laid back lifestyle and multifunctional items.

”Unlike fashion accessories and garment, the trend in the furniture industry does not change much, this would involve the color and lifestyle,” Ruby Babao-Salutan, CFIF executive director, said.

”In Cebu, we have the lifestyle furniture. So, you buy the image that you choose to live. You would see a piece and say, 'I want to live that way',” Salutan said.

She said this would mean something that would have more value because it would be something intangible.

"So we are not just producers of furniture, it’s a lifestyle,” she said.

Salutan explained that lifestyle is demographic.

"In contrast, furniture manufacturers in Malaysia come up with pieces made of teak or the institutional form while in Europe, where they have small spaces and the land is expensive, they have the minimalist pieces. In North America, they prefer the bulky pieces,” she said.

Twenty six companies that have signed in as exhibitors will be using or experimenting on new materials for their designs. Participants from Bacolod, Manila, and Pampanga and Davao have also enlisted to showcase their products.(PNA)

Cebu is ready for World Food Expo

Cebu is set to host a world food expo at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) giving a boost to the province's bid to become a convention and exhibition capital of the country.

The exhibition called the World Food Expo (Wopex): Food Processing and Packaging Tecchnology Expo 2007 is expected to gather at least 700 local and international exhibitors at the CICC this April.

According to Felix Tiukinhoy, president of the Philippine Association of Meat Processors (Pampi) and co-host of the event, the exhibition will boost Cebu's bid to become a convention and exhibition capital of the country.

The event will also boost industries and businesses not only in Cebu but also those in the region, with the presence of hundreds of suppliers and buyers gathered in one huge event.

“Hundreds of deals are sealed in events like these. Instead of going to Manila where you meet one or two suppliers or buyers in one day, in an expo you meet a hundred of them,” said Tiukinhoy also president of Virginia Food, Inc.

Pampi will cohost the event with the association of Cebu-based food exporters – Association of Food Manufacturers and Exporters and the European Chamber of Commerce Cebu.
Last year, the annual exhibition gathered 700 exhibitors and over 52,000 foreign and local trade exhibitors, Jocelle Pascual, vice president for marketing of Premier Events Plus Group Inc., said in a letter to Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.

Exhibitors in the event range from food processing equipment and supplies, food service facilities, packaging equipment, packaging materials, food ingredients, supermarket systems among others.

According to Tiukinhoy, organizers are still waiting for advice from the management board created by the provincial and Mandaue City government regarding the rates for use of the CICC. (CDN)