Clark Field, Pampanga – “Our strength is our people” is the theme of the third super region cabinet meeting held today at the Cyber City Teleservices Inc. compound in Clark field, Pampanga.
Commission on Information and Communications Technology Secretary and Cyber Corridor Super Region Development Champion Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua presented before the full cabinet his report indicating a continued, strong growth in the Philippine IT-BPO industries.
“We have overtaken Malaysia and we already took a lot from India making us now number three in market share, with 15% behind Canada (27%) and India (37%). This growth is due to innate Filipino talent; robust connectivity; accessibility through international and domestic airports; growth in PEZA IT parks and buildings; and the formation of ICT Councils nationwide as the drivers of growth,” Secretary Chua reported.
The President directed the Cyber Corridor Super Region Development Champion to develop the Cyber Corridor in Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Cagayan De Oro, Metro cavite, Bacolod, Pampanga Central, Bulacan Central (Baliuag, Marilao, Meycauayan, Bulacan South (Malolos, Calumpit) and Lipa City as the next Top Ten Wave Cities.
International investors believe in the Philippine super region plan. It is projected to spur rapid development, increase labor and income in the cyber corridor as the regions, cities, and towns are now investing in information and technologies that will create more jobs, business opportunities and income.
According to Goldman Sachs, one of the best investment banks in the world, “it is a good plan to create super regions in accordance to their competitive advantage. The President is focused on the speedy implementation of her infrastructure projects and she is better in the aspect compared to other leaders in Asia.”
In the Cyber Corridor Super Region Development Plan, the government will also ensure internet connectivity for all public high schools nationwide. (PIA-region3)
PGMA orders DOJ, SEC & BSP to help legacy plan holders; advises SEC’s Martinez to go on leave
Malacanang today ordered three government agencies to help out the beleaguered plan holders of Legacy Group even as it advised Commissioner Jesus Martinez of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to immediately go on leave.
“Martinez should go on leave effective immediately to insure impartial investigation by the SEC and other investigative bodies on the charges against him,” said the Palace in a text statement sent to the media by Press Secretary Cerge Remonde.
“The President (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) has also directed PAGC (Presidential Anti-Graft Commission) to look into alleged irregularities committed by Martinez and other SEC officials,” said Remonde.
The Press Secretary added that “the President has also ordered the Department of Justice and SEC to work together with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) in helping Legacy plan holders in line with the government policy of consumer protection.”
Martinez has been accused of receiving gifts, including a house and lot and cash, from the Legacy Group.
Despite the economic slowdown, some businesses would thrive and hire people
Labor authorities reported the local hotel and restaurant management industry has more than 3,000 jobs available.
Hotel and Restaurant Management Association of the Philippines President Humprey O’Leary said the on-going constructions of hotels, resorts and restaurants nationwide reflects the high level of confidence among investors in the industry.
Although investors acknowledge that the industry is affected by the economic slump, O’Leary said they believe they will reap the benefits of their investments once the sector recovers.
As for the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the Philippines differs from other economies because local consumption is alive.
However, PCCI President Edgardo Lacson admitted many graduates do not get hired because they don’t have the skills industries are looking for.
To solve the mismatch, Lacson said schools and industries should work together to help graduates and trainees to respond appropriately with actual job demands.
Lacson said PCCI has programs such as the STORE (School-To-Office Response to Employment) system where employers and school administrators can identify the necessary trainings and skills in all steps of recruitment and in all levels of employment.
On the other hand, officials from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)are urging workers especially those who recently lost their jobs to learn new trades from the training programs provided by Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) and other government agencies to get themselves hired in the hotel and restaurant sector.
TESDA Deputy Director General Rogelio Peyuan said there are openings for bartenders, cooks and housekeepers.
He added that TESDA has Php-1-Billion worth of scholarships which prioritize retrenched workers including OFWs.
Sa kabila ng economic slowdown, buhay na buhay naman ang ilang negosyo at naghahanap pa ng karagdagang empleyado
Iniulat ng mga awtoridad sa paggawa na mayroong 3,000 trabaho sa industriya ng hotel and restaurant management.
Ang malakas na lokal na turismo ay pinalakas ng mga OFW remittance.
Ayon kay Hotel and Restaurant Management Association of the Philippines President Humprey O’Leary, ang kabi-kabilang pagtatayo ng mga resort, hotel at restaurant sa buong bansa ay indikasyon ng mataas na kumpiyansa ng mga mamumuhunan sa industriya.
Bagamat batid ng mga investor na apektado sila ng pagbagal ng pandaigdigang ekonomiya, sinabi ni O’Leary na naniniwala ang karamihan na mababawi nila ang kanilang puhunan sa sandaling makabangon ang industriya.
Para naman sa Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), naiiba ang Pilipinas sa iba pang kalapit na bansa dahil sa masiglang pagkunsumo ng mga mamamayan sa mga produkto at serbisyo.
Gayumpaman, aminado si PCCI President Edgardo Lacson na maraming graduate ang hindi matanggap sa trabaho dahil wala sa kanila ang mga kakayahang hinahanap ng mga employer.
Para maresolba ang sinasabing mismatch ng trabaho, sinabi ni Lacson na dapat magtulungan ang mga paaralan at mga industriya sa paghahanda sa mga mag-aaral sa pagtugon sa mga pangangailangan ng mga negosyo.
Sinabi ni Lacson na ang PCCI ay may mga programa tulad ng STORE (School-To-Office Response to Employment) system kung saan natutukoy ng mga employer at mga nangangasiwa sa mga paaralan ang mga kinakailangan pagsasanay sa lahat ng baitang ng recruitment at employment.
Sa kabilang dako, hinikayat ng mga opisyal ng Department of Labor and Employment ang mga manggagawa na nawalan ng trabaho na magsanay ng mga panibagong kaalaman sa pamamagitan ng pagsali sa mga training program ng Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) at ng iba pang ahensiya para makakuha ng trabaho mula sa hotel and restaurant industry.
Inihayag naman ni TESDA Deputy Director General Rogelio Peyuan na mayroong mga openings para sa mga bartender, taga-luto at mga housekeeper.
Traders still bullish on BIMP-EAGA
Miguel Varela, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) chair, said business chambers under the umbrella of PCCI-Mindanao have started to revive their linkages with BIMP-EAGA stakeholders and help promote more cross-border exchanges and capital flow in the area.
``They (Mindanao business chambers) want to become active players again (in the BIMP-EAGA),` ` he said.
Most business chambers in Mindanao were relegated to the sidelines of the BIMP-EAGA affairs since 2004 following a conflict among leading business groups in the island.
But PCCI`s affiliates, which lists at least 36 active groupings, have since regrouped under a reconfigured PCCI-Mindanao.
Varela said the PCCI leadership is fully behind the move and is currently considering designating Elena Haw, the group’s vice president for Mindanao, as point person for the BIMP-EAGA.
Haw was part of the Philippine delegation that joined President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the 5th BIMP-EAGA Leaders Summit late last month at the Dusit Thani Resort Hotel in Hua Hin, Thailand.
``(BIMP-EAGA activities) have slowed down during the past years and I think we need to bring in some help,`` he said.
The BIMP-EAGA was launched in 1994 as a sub-regional grouping that focuses on the development of trade, investment and tourism potentials of the four countries through an integrated regional cooperation.
BIMP-EAGA comprises the entire sultanate of Brunei Darrussalam; the provinces of Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, and West Papua in Indonesia; the states of Sabah and Sarawak and the federal territory of Labuan in Malaysia; and, Mindanao and Palawan in the Philippines.
The sub-region is eyed as a major base in ASEAN for ``high value-added agro-industries, natural resource-based manufacturing, high-grade tourism as well as non resource-based industries.` `
The BIMP-EAGA summit, which was also attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi of Malaysia, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, were held on the side of the 14th ASEAN Summit hosted by Thailand.
GRP-MNLF-OIC tripartite meeting opens Wednesday
Manila (PNA) -- The three-day tripartite meeting of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP), the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to review the implementation of the 1996 final peace agreement will open Wednesday (March 11) here.
A four-man delegation from the OIC, headed by Ambassador Sayyed Kaseem El-Masry, is now in the country to attend the three-day session.
The conference will be held at the Heritage Hotel in Pasay City from Wednesday to Friday.
El-Masry is the special envoy of OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanuglo.
Other members of El-Masry`s delegation are OIC Director Talal Daus, Director Taher Saif and Ali Demirci, El-Masry`s special assistant.
Indonesian Deputy Foreign Minister Reslan Jeni, who is also the chair of the Peace Committee for Southern Philippines (PCSP), will preside over the confab.
Members of the PCSP-OIC who are resident ambassadors will also attend the meeting.
The GRP delegation is led by Undersecretary Nabil Tan of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) headed by Secretary Avelino ``Sonny`` I. Razon Jr.
The two previous tripartite meetings were held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Istanbul, Turkey.
Tan said this will be the first time the Philippines will host the confab.
He said among the issues to be discussed are the Shari`ah and Judiciary; Special Regional Security Force and Unified Command for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao; Natural Resources and Economic Development; Political System and Representation, and Education.
Gov. Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will attend the three-day meeting as representative of the ARMM.
It may be recalled that the GRP-MNLF signed the historic peace agreement in Malacanang on September 2, 1996 during the presidency of President Fidel V. Ramos.
Signing for the MNLF was MNLF chairman Nur Misuari.
RP`s cyber corridor sustains growth
Clarkfield, Pampanga (PND)-- The Central Luzon Cyber Corridor, one of five Super Regions envisioned by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo under her country-wide development scheme, continuously grows by leaps and bounds and is proving to be an oasis of hope for many Filipinos feeling the crunch of the deepening global economic meltdown.
In a presentation during the 26th Cabinet meeting at the Cyber City Teleservices (CCT) main office here today (Tuesday, March 10, 2009), Commission on Information and Communication Technology (CICT) chairman Ray Anthony Chua said that last year 372,000 jobs and $6-billion in revenue were generated by the industry alone.
``And despite the global financial crisis, we still expect the industry to grow this year,`` he added.
Chua pointed out that with the continued support of government, he expects jobs in the IT industry, particularly the business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) sector to grow by 20 to 25 percent or generate 80,000 to 90,000 jobs this year.
Among the initiatives CICT is currently undertaking to ensure the IT-BPO industry sector growth include the provision of subsidies for training similar to what the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo scholarships do for potential recruits in the IT-BPO sector, and starting a career caravan that will help promote IT-BPO opportunities around the country.
Aside from Manila and Cebu, CICT has identified ``10 next wave cities`` that are fertile grounds for IT-BPO expansion. These new wave cities include Metro Laguna, Metro Cavite, Iloilo, Davao, Bacolod, Pampanga, two areas in Bulacan, Cagayan de Oro, and Lipa City in Batangas. CICT, he added, is also working on assessment tools that will help IT-BPO operators to streamline their equipment process.
``So we`re working on all that to help the industry sustain its growth,`` Chua stressed.
The Philippines is considered one of the leading IT-BPO countries. It is ranked second to India outside Canada in terms of market share in IT-BPO global market.
``The IT-BPO industry has been growing continuously in the last several years because in general, the trend towards outsourcing is growing globally. In addition, the Philippines has really made a name for itself. Our reputation is becoming more and more enhanced around the world,`` Chua noted.
Aside from the Cyber Corridor, which is home to numerous cyberservice providers that supply expert services in various ICT fields like BPO, contact centers, animation, medical and legal transcription, software development, e-learning, e-entertainment and gaming and other back office operations (e.g. finance and accounting, human resource development, etc.), the other Super Regions are Central Philippines, Luzon Urban Beltway, Mindanao and the North Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle.
Central Philippines is also envisioned as a premier tourist destination on account of its unique natural wonders: long white beaches, rich coastal and marine resources, vast forest reserves and diverse ecosystems, varied ethnic cultures and historical landmarks, and warm and friendly people.
The Luzon Urban Beltway (LUB) is projected to become the heartland of industry and country’s trade and commerce. It contributes the most to the national economy among all the other super regions. Of the country’s total gross domestic product (GDP), about 55 percent come from the region.
Mindanao as a whole has been designated as super region in itself. The adoption of a super region strategy as laid out in the President’s July 2006 State of the Nation Address augurs well for Mindanao, given its competitive edge in agribusiness, which could be further harnessed by major infrastructure support.
The North Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle (NLAQ) forms part of the President’s roadmap to realize the region’s full potentials that would spur the country’s drive towards agricultural productivity and hiked food production not only to supply the major population centers of Luzon, but North Asia as well.
PGMA welcomes Holland America Line President/CEO to Malacanang
Manila (PND) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo welcomed today in Malacanang Stein Kruse president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Holland America Line (HAL).
The Seattle-based Holland America Line has been operating luxury ship cruises for over 130 years and has a history of excellence and tradition that touches every continent around the globe as it operates 13 vessels that sail to over 280 ports of call.
This year, it has included nine unique voyages in the Asia-Pacific Region and Puerto Princesa in Palawan is one of them.
Holland America Line has also opened a new culinary training program, designed in cooperation with the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), at its training center here in Manila, to train shipboard culinary staff for its expanding fleet of premium cruise ships.
Trainees will live at the facility while completing a three-week immersion culinary course.
Holland America Line is renowned for its culinary expertise and extraordinary food presentations in the dining rooms and many specialty restaurants, and that its new culinary training program in Manila will ensure that its culinary and beverage staff continue to raise the bar of providing outstanding meals and service to guests.
The training school also serves as a school for front desk personnel and beverage staff, and has space to conduct leadership and other training classes for crew and officers.
