The Pacific white shrimp will be cultured in Negros Occidental beginning March and industry leader Roberto Gatuslao is hopeful this will be the start of the revival of the province's once lucrative shrimp industry.

The Department of Agriculture lifted the ban on the importation and culture of white shrimp or Peneaus vannamei last week after field verification trials show the successful conduct of breeding and grow-out experiments of the P. vannamei shrimp in the country.

Industry stakeholders believe the culture of white shrimp will boost the country's dwindling shrimp production, and increase consumption of shrimps among Filipinos. Gatuslao told the DAILY STAR that this development would mean increase in hectarage of shrimp/prawn farms and the hiring of more people to work in these farms in the province.

Teletech tops hiring
target, hits 1,150

Teletech, a global business outsourcing and call center company, has hired 1,150 employees for its Bacolod Customer Management Center since its opening in the middle of 2006.

The number exceeded the company's target of 1,000 hires by the end of 2006. "We surpassed the target set for Bacolod CMC because Bacolod has a very competent labor market," TeleTech Bacolod Site Director Michael Sendall said in a press release.

He added that their clients are very satisfied with the performance of their employees, including their English speaking skills.

back to top