The promise of more jobs

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Managing Editor ANTONIETA B. LOPEZ Business Editor ODETTE MONTELIBANO Desk Editor MARY ANN BARCELONA Advertising Coordinator RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete

ANDRES R. LEONARDIA Managing Director

Hoping for a better future for working professionals in the province, local and multinational information technology companies with businesses in Negros Oriental are set to hire more employees before the year ends. Representatives from different local IT companies have announced that they will be hiring more employees to meet the rapid increase in the global demand for IT services. IT companies that have already set up businesses here span the varied stretch of technological services from business process outsourcing, medical transcription, web development, software services, broadband services, and call centers.

The DTI provincial director said that with this development, Oriental Negros' new employment might just reach the 1,000-mark this year. The first transcription IT company located in the municipality of Bacong, often mistaken for a call center, is a leading global provider of business outsourcing services and solutions that help advance science and technology, specifically supporting content production of scientific, technical, medical, and academic journals. The company plans to increase its current 339 employees to 600 by yearend.

Another transcription IT company located in Dumaguete City is eyeing to double its current workers as it expands its services from medical transcription to include animation and architecture, legal, finance and accounting transcription.

The newly opened call center promises to hire 100 employees within three months starting this year and another 200 employees in 18 months. The call center is looking forward to new business supporting additional growth, and plans to continue to increase employment through 2007. We hope these promises are all true and not mere lip service to gain media mileage to further enhance their corporate image.

We expect that their corporate goals and expectations will redound to a better work force and genuine community relations.*