City Government of Legazpi, Embarcadero and Legazpi ICT Council Join 9th e-Services Philippines

In order for the Philippines to continue taking a bigger share of the burgeoning global BPO market, the 9^th e-Services Global Sourcing Conference and Exhibition was held last February 9-10 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, and the Legazpi city ICT Council and Embarcadero took part in the event.

Legazpi ICT chairperson, Rosemarie Rey (2nd from left), with President and CEO of Embarcadero Land Ventures, Elizaldy Co, city Mayor Noel Rosal and conference delegates at the exhibit area of Next Wave Cities during the 9th e-Services Philippines

Organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) through its export promotions arm, the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), this annual conference is hailed as a high-profile assembly in the Asia Pacific where the brightest minds and the key players in the ICT and BPO arena converge to share their experiences, insights and expertise on best practices, industry innovations, emerging delivery locations, and market opportunities.

With the theme “Right move for the right results,” the 9^th e-Services Conference once again gathered both global and local industry leaders, decision makers and centers of excellence as they tackled the emerging issues, trends and new business models in the ICT/BPO industry. They discussed the future of the Philippine BPO and what are the strategies that must be undertaken to cushion the impact of the global financial crisis to the industry. They also highlighted the competitive position of the Philippines in the offshoring and outsourcing (O&O) market vis-à-vis India.

Despite the present global economic downturn, industry leaders expressed their positive outlook for the Philippines as they indicated that the country is still very much on track to becoming the global center of excellence in outsourcing.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in her keynote address during the conference said that the “BPO industry continues to boom as global cost cutting is sent to outsourcing”. She also added that BPO and e-services are the economy’s key drivers, generating investments and jobs, alleviating poverty and improving the lives of the people.

For the second time, Embarcadero and the Legazpi ICT Council headed by Rosemarie Q. Rey are among the exhibitors in this prestigious event. Legazpi city, being included in the Next Wave Cities showcased its ICT and BPO capabilities wherein the city’s potential as an ideal outsourcing location was presented by city Mayor Noel Rosal during the second day of the conference.

Among the highlights during the presentation of the Next Wave Cities was the interactive video conference between the Philippine’s ICT Councils and members of the New York Global Sourcing Council.

Given the much cheaper cost of talent and infrastructure in the countryside, the next wave cities or ICT hubs are regarded as strategic investment locations for ICT and BPO services especially in this challenging time of global financial condition wherein multinational companies are implementing cost-effective means to cope with the changing economic climate.

With the emergence of regional ICT hubs, the growth in the country’s BPO sector will be propelled further, enabling the Philippines to continuously be seen as -- in the words of Trade Undersecretary Thomas Aquino -- “a ‘BPO goldmine’ by businesses all over the world.”

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.