ICT conference to jumpstart growth of ICT-BPO in East Visayas

By Erlinda Olivia P. Tiu

Sunday 5th of August 2012

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Aug 5 (PIA) -- An ICT (information and communications technology)-Conference and Preparatory Workshop for the presentation of the ICT Sector Plan and Roadmap of the Regional ICT Committee of the Regional Development Council, will be conducted on August 6 at Hotel Alejandro, Tacloban City.

Director Edgardo Esperancilla of DOST-8 who is chairman of the ICT Committee of RDC-8, said that this activity is conducted in partnership with the Information and Technology Office of DOST, National ICT Conference of the Philippines (NICT), Bacolod-Negros Occidental Federation for ICT (Benefit), NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority), and DOST-8.

Esperancilla disclosed that there is an emerging movement to jumpstart the growth of the information and communications technology- business process outsourcing industry in Eastern Visayas.

In fact, he said the ICT-BPO has been identified as one of the priority investment areas in the region.

In this context, the ICT stakeholders of the region, joined hands to coordinate their efforts as well as committed their talents and skills in making Region 8 a viable ICT-BPO destination not only in the Philippines but also worldwide.

The ICT conference will feature technical inputs from Alejandro Melchor and Monchito Ibrahim of DOST-ICTO and lawyer Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, NICP president and convenor-founding chair of Benefit.

Representatives of other ICT councils in the Philippines will also be present to share their experiences and best practices on how they helped the industry grow in their respective cities and regions.

Part of the activity is the plenary for visioning, presentations, strategic planning, and commitment building.

Through the activity, Esperancilla hopes to unify and combine the strengths and skills of all the stakeholders in Tacloban City and the Province of Leyte under one unified ICT Council that is private sector-led.

Among others, the activity hopes to empower local private sector stakeholders as reliable partners of the government in implementing strategies to develop the ICT-BPO industry in the local community. (PIA 8)