by Prix D Banzon

Davao City (4 October) -- Operators of call centers that are eyeing Davao City as their future sites needs an assurance of steady source of manpower.

But Department of Trade and Industry Davao City director Teolulo Pasawa disclosed that measures are being worked out to ensure that investors could easily get quality human resource for their operation.

He said in Davao City, one major call center operator, the Cybercity has forged an agreement with the Commission on Higher Education here for the adoption of their English proficiency which allows students to take it as an elective course.

Not only that Pasawa said the CHED likewise declared four of the schools in Davao City as ICT Center for Development namely Ateneo de Davao University, University of the Immaculate Concepcion, University of the Philippines Mindanao and the University of Mindanao.

Pasawa likewise said that the Japanese government knowing that the Philippine National IT Standards Foundation, Inc. (PHILNITS) which undertakes accreditation of individuals with IT knowledge here in order to determine their level of competency will use the center to improve literacy rate especially of teachers in IT schools.

He said a team from Japan will be sent here to support PHILNITS in their project with the DTI.

The first training at Philnits will be on November 12-29 and among the participants are professors of computer schools.

Meanwhile Pasawa said the Davao region has a total of 1,000 seats operated by two big call centers and one small-size ten-seater call center in Tagum City.

He said that two centers in Davao City are already working on their expansion. Cybercity formerly known as G-Com is working on its capacity to 2,000 seats. The other center Link2Support will move up to 1,000 seats capacity once it opens to expansion this year.

Cybercity has a current seat capacity of 450 while Link2Support with 250.