Iloilo City draws more BPOs, real estates

Iloilo City draws more BPOs, real estates

Iloilo City is selling like hotcakes to investors in the field of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and real estate industries.

This was the assessment of industry players citing the metropolis potentials in attracting investments.

Mayor Jed Patrick E. Mabilog stressed the welcome development manifested the city's booming economy driven by business and tourism which continues to provide jobs to the Ilonggos to improve their living condition.

Investors' confidence is also attributed to the Ilonggos' rich culture and educational excellence.

"Iloilo is diverse in terms of culture and the business here is booming. In fact, many investors from Cebu and Davao are looking for lands here to start their business," said Megaworld Corp. public relations and communications head Harold Geronimo.

The company is developing the P35-Billion Iloilo Business Park, a live-work-play township that hosts BPOs, hotels, malls, condominiums and Iloilo Convention Center at the old airport property in Mandurriao district.

Megaworld said that they invested in the city because of its culture and business growth.

Iloilo City as an outsourcing hub is finding increasing favor with buyers, assessed Asia Property Report, a realty publication.

"Iloilo is buoyant growth city especially for the BPO sector owing to a high number of college graduates," property portal Lamudi managing director Jacqueline Van den Ende was quoted as saying.

Developers and locators take advantage of the city's adequate manpower pool with more than 20,000 graduates annually.

The city offers abundant office space with the presence of capable English-speaking, diverse young population; and lots of cultural activities, according to Property Report. (Iloilo City PIO)

Iloilo City Community College now CHED-accredited

Iloilo City Community College now CHED-accredited

The Iloilo City Community College (ICCC) is now accredited by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

This after CHED-6 chief education program specialist Rex Casiple turned over the Certificate of Recognition for ICCC to operate as a Higher Education Institution (HEI) to Mayor Jed Patrick E. Mabilog May 6 at City Hall.

Mabilog stressed the citation is a manifestation of the City Government's success in providing affordable, accessible and quality public education to underprivileged but deserving students giving them the opportunity to finish college.

The CHED's Commission En Banc (CEB) resolution stated that ICCC complied with requirements for the operation of a college.

ICCC will be entitled to CHED benefits such as scholarships for students and teachers.

ICCC already produced five magna cum laudes and 27 cum laudes from its pioneer 149 graduates of four-year courses Bachelor of Science (BS) Travel Management and BS Office Administration last April 8.

Mabilog encouraged graduates of city's public high schools to avail of scholarships provided by ICCC for deserving youth to finish college.

ICCC is currently accepting applicants for entrance examination and interview scheduled this May prior to enrollment and opening of classes in June.

Applicants must have a General Weighted Average of 82 percent and bonafide residents of the city.

They should bring primary documentary requirements including NSO-copy of birth certificate, report card, certificate of good moral character, and barangay clearance.

Interested parties are requested to visit ICCC fronting City High in Molo district or call Registrar at 335-0798. (Iloilo City PIO)

MAY IS NATIONAL HERITAGE MONTH

MAY IS NATIONAL HERITAGE MONTH

The National Historical Institute of the Philippines declared the Jaro Cathedral a historical landmark in 1976.
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines approved the cathedral as the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Candles in 2012.
The Marian image of Our Lady of the Candles also has the distinction of being canonically crowned by the late Pope John Paul II during his visit to Iloilo City on February 21, 1981, making it as the only Marian figure to be given such stature in the Philippines.
The original cathedral was built in 1874 by the first Bishop of Jaro, Mariano Cuartero, O.P. 
It was destroyed in January 1948 by the Lady Caycay earthquake and later repaired in 1956 by the first Archbishop of Jaro, José María Cuenco.
The journalist, national hero, and co-founder of the Propaganda Movement Graciano López Jaena was baptized in the Cathedral.

Asean firm cites Iloilo City’s BPO boom

Asean firm cites Iloilo City's BPO boom

Iloilo City's booming Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector was cited by an economic think tank for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) region.

"BPO facilities are located mainly in Metro Manila and Cebu City. However, more of such facilities are being found in the smaller cities like Iloilo and Baguio," assessed Asean Briefing report about the country's growth topping its neighbors as published on its website May 9.

Asia Briefing Limited is a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates, a specialist foreign direct investment practice, providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in China, Hong Kong, India, Vietnam, Singapore and rest of ASEAN.

Mayor Jed Patrick E. Mabilog hoped the citation will help strongly promote and globally sell Iloilo City as ideal investment destination.

He added that being a top BPO hotspot is a manifestation of the city's business-friendliness, conducive investment climate, and strong economic promotions in attracting major locators to settle and expand here.

The metropolis was recently recognized as an established hub for Information Technology-Business Process Management (IT-BPM) operations by the Information and Communications Technology Office of Department of Science and Technology (DOST-ICTO) and IT-Business Process Association of the Philippines (BPAP).

The BPO industry is normally classified into the eight sub-sectors: contact centers, back office, knowledge processing services, data transcription, animation, software, engineering, and game developments.

"A consistent effort should also be made to promote the BPO sector as one of the Philippines' pillar industries. The public too needs to understand and support the industry by creating an environment that facilitates BPO careers for graduates," the business intelligence firm suggested.

The City Government is collaborating and working closely with Iloilo Federation for Information Technology (IFIT) composed of private sector and academe in responding to the needs of BPO industry.

IFIT executive director Joeven Tansi noted there are 12,000 BPO jobs available for applicants, adding to the current 20,000 employees working in 45 companies operating here.

IT-BPAP President Jose Mari Mercado said Iloilo has developed a good ecosystem to attract multinationals and BPOs. He added the next step is to develop the local ICT industry to motivate students to take up IT-related courses and capacity development programs supported by the industry to support the human resource requirements.

"The rise of the popularity of the Philippines as a BPO destination owes to its large English speaking workforce who are demographically young and whose wages are competitive in the BPO market. Additionally, the Philippines boasts a large degree of economic and political stability, which compliment government sponsored economic zones offering both fiscal and non-fiscal incentives for investors," stated the Asean consulting company. (Iloilo City PIO)

NEW MIWD PIPELINE

The City Government is seeing a solution to the water problem being experienced by metro residents with the inauguration of a new transmission pipeline of the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) in Leganes town all the way to Ungka, Pavia, Iloilo on Tuesday.
With the project, an additional 9,000 cubic meters of potable water from bulk water supplier, Flo Water Resources Iloilo, Inc., is expected to be conveyed by the pipes going to the city.
"Finally, this is a first step in solving Iloilo City's water problem. The inauguration and blessing of the new MIWD line is indeed beneficial to our residents who are experiencing water supply problems," Mayor Jed Patrick E. Mabilog, who graced the ceremony, said.
The chief executive is optimistic the additional cubic meters of water can somehow mitigate the impacts of scarce to almost zero water supply in some areas of the metro due to El Niño phenomenon.
"It is expected that starting Friday, Iloilo City will have substantial water in the MIWD lines," assured MIWD General Manager Imelda Magsuci.
The bulk water provider could previously supply 6,000 cubic meter of water but with the new transmission pipeline, a total of 15,000 cubic meters can now be supplied to the city.