BACOLOD CITY, April 3 (PNA) –- Aside from banking on sustained agriculture and fisheries, Governor Alfredo Marañon of Negros Occidental recognized the need to strengthen the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry of the province.
Marañon said the province will soon be the home of world-class information and communication technology (ICT) professionals with the completion of Negros 1st Cyber Centre.
The 22,000-square meter BPO complex will rise in this capital city and is expected to provide more than 13,000 jobs to Negrenses with estimated average annual salaries of P1.5 billion.
“This is indeed a giant stride towards promoting our province in the global ICT market,” stressed Marañon during his speech at 14th commencement exercises of Northern Negros State College of Science and Technology (NONESCOST) in Sagay City Wednesday.
The governor spoke after he received the honorary doctorate degree in Public Administration from NONESCOST.
The Cyber Centre will showcase a three-storey facility with IT-BPO work stations, business incubation center for IT entrepreneurs, creative process studio for animators and game developers and for business research and data facility.
The establishment of the edifice hopefully within this year is a “clear proof” that the provincial government is serious in its effort to provide the needed infrastructure for BPO sector to generate more job opportunities, he said.
Toward the end of his speech, the official encouraged the graduates and alumni of NONESCOST to avail their scholarship programs under the Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology Center (NOLITC).
NOLITC offers free call center training and English language proficiency training even to out-of-school youth, high school graduates, and college drop-outs aside from college graduates who wanted to pursue a career in BPO.
At present, Marañon said they have provided 800 call center jobs to graduates of NOLITC to drum beat their thrust to address poverty that has long been plaguing the province. (PNA)
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