President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday stressed the need to develop Sipalay's beaches as major tourism destinations, lauded Bacolod for the opening of call centers, and emphasized the need to build a convention center to boost the local economy.

Arroyo, who was in Bacolod City as keynote speaker of the Vice Mayors League of the Philippines, said "there is indeed tourism potential in Negros Occidental."

She congratulated Negros Occidental and Sipalay City because, in the last convention of Women and Travel, the Sipalay beaches and other tourism attractions were named as the Philippines most outstanding "secret" tourism destinations.

"Let's not make it a secret anymore, let's have more investments in tourism," she said.

We have the competitive edge in tourism with the natural wonders of our country and the warmth of our people, he said.

"I hope Bacolod and Negros Occidental will invest in more rooms and more convention centers and facilities to fulfill their tourism potential," she said.

"It's a good time to make direct investments because interest rates are at the lowest in more than 30 years - the peso is up, the stock market is strong, and our budget is under control," she said.

Japan's rating agency has just upgraded the Philippines outlook from negative to stable, she said.

This is part of the fruits of our fiscal and economic reforms on the vibrancy of our local governments and hard working communities, she said. She said the building of an airport in Kabankalan City is important to developing tourism in southern Negros Occidental.

She said she would also look into whether the old airport of Maricalum Mining Corp. in Sipalay could be opened for use.

Sipalay can become the tourism hub and the Boracay of Negros Occidental, she said.

What we need to do is work out what support is needed to develop Sipalay as the next Boracay, Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor said.

Primarily it would be the road networks and the airport, he said.

CALL CENTERS

The President also noted the gains of the nation in the growth of information technology in the country that is providing thousands of jobs.

She congratulated Bacolod for the opening of call centers in the city.

Arroyo noted that the Bacolod Convention Center where she was speaking is set to be converted into a call center that will employ more than 1,000 employees connected to the world.

She pointed out that in her first state of the nation address in 2001 she declared then that her administration would promote fast growing industries where high value jobs are most plentiful, one of them being information and communications technology.

In 2001 we only had 2000 employees and just five years later we have 125,000 employees and looking for 100,000 more, she said.

I hope all the municipalities and cities of Negros Occidental and the whole Philippines will be able to benefit from this tremendous demand of 100,000 workers, she said.

On her arrival in Bacolod City, the president briefly met with Gov. Joseph Marañon, Vice Gov. Isdiro Zayco, Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia, and Representatives Monico Puntevella, Tranquilino Carmona, Alfredo Marañon III, Jose Carlos Lacson and Ignacio Arroyo Jr., Presidential Adviser Rafael Coscolluela said.

The chairman of the national convention of the VMLP in Bacolod that ends Sunday is Bacolod Vice Mayor Renecito Novero.*CPG

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