The Bacolod Information Technology Focus Team formed more linkages and clinched additional prospects during its participation at the two-day e-Sevices Philippines 2006 6th Outsourcing Conference and Exhibition held last week at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel in Mandaluyong City, Jocelle Batapa-Sigue, chair of the IT Focus Team said yesterday.

Bacolod City, which is establishing itself as an IT hub in Western Visayas for the first time, joined other local government units in the e-Services Philippines, Asia's most comprehensive IT and e-Services conference and exhibition.

Batapa, who represented Bacolod with Mayor Evelio Leonardia, also said one of the highlights of this year's conference was the Regional Information and Communications Technology Hubs Forum and Exhibition which showcased Bacolod along with Zamboanga, General Santos, Leyte, Cagayan De Oro, Bohol, Cebu, Naga, Bataan, Bulacan, Pangasinan, Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Davao.

IT-enabled service firms are moving outside of Metro Manila as the government sets up a campaign to promote regional urban centers as alternative locations for business process outsourcing operations. Batapa-Sigue said that the Bacolod group visited three contact center sites, including those of Teletech at Robinsons Novaliches and of Teleperformance at the Octagon building and Tektite Building in EDSA.

She said that the Bacolod group together with Leonardia met with Convergys Philippines country manager Marife Zamora and with Joey Marcaida of Focus Communications, the third call center that will operate in Bacolod starting this year.

She said the Bacolod group, which set up a booth, had presented to about 50 multi-national companies the profile of Bacolod as an ideal ICT investment site.

Also representing the city were Elsa Coscolluela, co-chair of the IT Team's Human Resource Committee; Cheche Londres of Star Of Asia; Dennis Jalbuena, developer of The Block IT Park and Paul Tolentino of Impact and MTC Academy. Department of Trade and Industy Regional Director Dominic Abad, Provincial Director Lea Gonzales and IT Team Member Engiemar Tupas were also present.*NLG

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