SL Technological College Foundation Inc. Participates in the 1st National Summit of ICT Councils

SL Technological College Foundation Inc. (SLTCFI) headed by the institution’s President, Rosemarie Q. Rey and Marketing Manager James Nuñez actively participated in the country’s 1st National Summit of ICT Councils which was held last November 25-26 at the Maria Cristina Hotel in Iligan City.

With the theme of "Advancing Philippine BPO-IT Competitiveness: Networking of Local ICT Players for the National Effort,'' the National Summit of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) councils focused on the local ICT councils and foundations' competitiveness enhancement in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry.

The Iligan Information and Communications Technology Council (IICTC, or Iligan eCouncil), Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), and the Iligan City chamber of commerce organized the said event. The organizers believe that the action plans conceived during the summit will contribute directly to the unified vision of the government in providing investment and employment for the people.

Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Ll. Cruz expressed his gratitude to the stakeholders and practitioners in the field of information technology who attended the said event. Among those who responded to the invitation were organized local IT-Business Process Outsourcing stakeholders and players from the cities of Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iligan, Iloilo, General Santos, Legaspi, Metro Clark and Quezon.

In the said conference, speakers discussed about best practices focused on the need for a multi-stakeholder approach to attain success in the IT-BPO industry. Among the noted speakers was Rosemarie Q. Rey, President of Albay ICT Association, who discussed about the integration of IT component in setting up a tourism economic zone. Rey, who is also the president and CEO of SLTCFI (an IT school in Legazpi City that partners with foreign-based firms for business process outsourcing) has long been promoting and implementing various ICT initiatives that are making major impact in the local IT-BPO industry. Other speakers in the summit include Bacolod Councilor Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, chairperson of Bacolod-Negros Occidental Federation for ICT Inc.; Bonifacio Belen, executive director of Cebu Educational Development Foundation for IT, and Glenn Aguilar, chairperson of Iloilo Federation for IT and Lizabel Holganza, president of ICT Davao Inc.

The vision of the summit is to serve as a venue for collaboration and sharing of best practices and the unified voice of regional stakeholders in the country’s ICT industry. The ICT councils expressed their commitment and solid support to the various initiatives for the growth and development of Information and Communications Technology in the country in order to generate investments and revenues and to create more jobs for Filipinos.

SLTCFI is privileged and proud to be part of this significant event and the institution is committed in promoting the summit’s vision which will contribute to the development of ICT in the country through local initiatives.

In this regard, SLTCFI is confident that it is strongly equipped to assist and support the local government of Legazpi in improving and developing its ICT industry by implementing programs that will enhance the educational system and in it, integrate ICT to produce a highly competent workforce. This initiative will in turn improve the lives of the people not just in the locality but in the whole of the nation as well.

SLTCFI: A Major Partner of Embarcadero's IT Park

Embarcadero which is accredited by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority as an economic tourism zone is a major seafront commercial and IT development in the city of Legazpi. It is projected to become the prime destination for local and international tourists alike.

Aside from the much anticipated commercial hub of Embarcadero, the P1.8-billion IT Park Promenade which will be the very first IT ecozone in the Bicol region heightened the excitement of every Legazpeño as it promises better employment opportunities not just among the city locals but for many Bicolanos as well.

Among the private sectors that strongly supports Albay's very own IT park is Southern Luzon Technological College Foundation Inc. (SLTCFI) -- an IT school in Legazpi City which has been operating facilities for outsourced services for years already. With the strong leadership of SLTCFI’s President and CEO Rosemarie Q. Rey, the institution became a trusted partner for various United States-based business process outsourcing (BPO) firms. The institution also provides training for various Information Communications Technology (ICT) enabled services.

According to Rey, SLTCFI will be one of the locators in Embarcadero’s IT Park, along with around three other BPO firms still under negotiation. The school will be posting three accounts in Embarcadero: One for a financial account for an Australian company, another for an outsourced web development, and a call center for a foreign telecoms firm. Aside from these, SLTCFI is already hosting accounts that deals web programming, web marketing, and web copywriting.

In an interview for the Philippine Daily Inquirer dated November 10, 2008, Rey said: "What we want is when the locators come, we will already have a trained pool of manpower. And we're not limiting ourselves to call centers. We're also familiar with backroom operations and other technical needs of the e-commerce industry."

Among the highly trained group of students and young professionals for online marketing facilitated by SLTCFI is Alexander Osias. The trainings and employment opportunities provided for by SLTCFI made Osias thankful because he no longer needs to go to Manila and work far from his wife and child. In an interview for the Philippine Daily Inquirer last November 10, 2008, Osias expressed excitement about the Embarcadero prospect saying: "Legazpi City is starting to come alive. We no longer need to try our luck in Metro Manila to earn enough. Now, what we can earn in the province is enough for our family's daily needs, without having to leave them behind."

Sandra Balderama, a graduating Computer Science student from SLTCFI is also among those enthusiastic about the Embarcadero IT Park. Having been given opportunities by the school to train for programs like web marketing and call center competency, Balderama sees a bright future ahead of her here in Legazpi City.

With the dedication and hard work of the local government of Legazpi that partners with institutions like SLTCFI, more opportunities will be opened for Albayanos and a steady progress for the province will soon be realized.

For more about the Philippine Daily Inquirer Article featuring Embarcadero and SLTCFI, click here.

SL Technological College Foundation Inc. Supports Congressman Bichara’s Scholarship Program

Quality education is a priceless gift to be endowed upon. That is why SL Technological College Foundation Inc., one of the schools in the Bicol Region that offers quality yet affordable IT education, has responded aggressively to the Scholarship Program of Albay 2^nd District Congressman, Al Francis Bichara. The legislator and the said institution strongly support and prioritize the education of the Filipino youth specifically the poor but deserving Albayanos.

Under Congressman Bichara's educational development program, he released to the Technical and Educational Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) some P5 million in Project Development and Assistance Fund (PDAF) funds under his scholarship program.

SLTCFI seizes the opportunity to provide the gift of education to deserving and talented youth of Albay and the neighboring province through Congressman Bichara’s program. Among the ten schools in Albay that responded to the program, SLTCFI has the most number of scholars. There were 88 scholars accommodated for the 2-year and 4-year courses. Another 30 PESFA scholars endorsed by the Congressman were also able to avail of the school’s short-term courses.

As a way of appreciation of Congressman Bichara’s endeavors for the educational welfare of these students, SLTCFI President, Rosemarie Q. Rey initiated a “thank you program” held last November 24, 2008 at Congressman Bichara’s office. Also present in the occasion were scholars from Don Bosco and Onda Technological Training Center. The Congressman was very pleased by the SLTCFI scholars’ gestures as they gave and presented him cards, native gifts and a song number as their way of thanking him. The awarding of 30 scholarship slots to deserving students that are entitled to take the short-term course of Computer Programming in SLTCFI was also facilitated in the said occasion.

With efforts and dedication from local legislators like Congressman Bichara, and with the ever ready support from institutions like SLTCFI, who believes that the pursuit of higher education must not be limited to the financially-abled, quality education is afforded to poor but diligent and talented Bicolanos.

SL Technological College Foundation Inc. Joins Ibalong Street Presentation 2008

LEGAZPI CITY - The colorful Ibalong Festival was celebrated last October 25-31 in Legaspi City, Albay – Gateway City of Bicol Region. It is inspired by the 18th-century poem which tells about the land called "Ibalon" or the present-day Bicol region long before the Spanish colonizers came to our shores. The colorful celebration depicts the ancient life in Bicol as portrayed in the "Ibalong" epic that narrates of three mythical Aryan heroes in the name of Baltog, Bantong and Handyong who defeated several wild beasts and ferocious monsters and transformed the Bicol Peninsula into a bustling civilization.

One of the highlights of the exciting week-long Ibalong Festival is the Street Presentation where the Ibalong epic is relived in a joyous and colorful manner. Among the Legazpi city’s schools invited to join the said event is the Southern Luzon Technological College Foundation Inc. (SLTCFI) -- an educational institution in the city with technological services and facilities that offer degrees and short-term courses in computer technology, Arts & Sciences, manpower development and livelihood programs, and other technical courses.

SLTCFI immediately responded to the invitation in order to promote cultural awareness among its students. This is the first time that SLTCFI participated in the Street Presentation. Faculty members and students enthusiastically prepared for the said event headed by the institution’s marketing director, Mr. Jaime Nuñez, and marketing assistant, Mr. Johnsen Gonzales who is also the one in-charge of the choreography. There were 100 students from the school’s different departments that participated -- 60 female dancers, 30 males playing the instruments and 10 males as warriors.

This year’s Ibalong Street Presentation is composed of 15 contingents comprised mainly of youth participants coming from different schools in Legazpi City, and from other parts of the Bicol region.

The SLTCFI contingent is the first performer in this year’s Street Presentation and they impressed the spectators with their dazzling costumes and graceful performance of their dance routine and choreography. The costumes donned by the students were meticulously made using glittery materials as well as of locally found indigenous materials like abaca fabrics and jute sacks. The designs are green in motif complemented with red, black and green body paints. Their headdress is accentuated with painted chicken feathers and a snake design. The theme of their costume and their portrayal of the epic depicts the story of wily serpent who sometimes appear as a beautiful maiden. Their use of a live snake as part of their props brought additional excitement to the audience.

Truly, the city’s main streets were transformed into a huge theater for folk art with the majestic Mayon Volcano as a dramatic back drop while participants gracefully execute their choreographed dances in their colorful indigenous costumes and grotesque masks imitating the characters and events in the Ibalong epic. The contingents with the most colorful, most creative and most energetic presentation depicting the history of Ibalong took home hefty cash prizes.

City Mayor Noel E. Rosal, Ibalong Festival honorary chairman in his speech during the opening of the festival thanked all the stakeholders especially the private sectors and business community who sponsored the various activities of the Ibalong celebration.

SLTCFI Presents "SL Night"

LEGAZPI CITY– In connection with the Legazpi Port District Fiesta celebration, South Luzon Technological College Foundation Inc. (SLTCFI) hosted a significant event dubbed as "SL Night" last October 20, 2008. The said program aims to provide additional entertainment for the people of Legazpi as well as to promote cultural awareness among the locals.

The event was held along Peñaranda Street beside Liberty Commercial Center (LCC), one of the famous malls in the city. The presentation showcases the talents of SLTCFI’s students, staffs and faculty members.

The two-hour presentation is composed of singing, dancing and plays that depict the rich and colorful culture of our region. Students from the school’s different department actively participated in the program. Their dance numbers include modern and folk dances unique to our province wherein it shows the beauty and elegance of our way of life -- the way we dress and the way we do and sees things.

For over fourteen years, SLTCFI is not just a reliable institution when it comes to providing technological services and addressing the Bicolano’s needs for Information Technology literacy, but is also an active partner of the city government of Legazpi in strengthening and promoting the moral and cultural values of the Bicolanos.

The said event is truly one happy and memorable occasion not just for city residents but also for the organizers and participants as the activity truly made a significant impact in the celebration of the Legazpi Port District fiesta.