Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella yesterday said he is looking at the possibility of establishing a state-of-the-art polytechnic/IT college in Bacolod City to meet the manpower requirement of Korean firms in the country.

Puentevella said he has invited Man-Hwan Park, country director of the Export-Import Bank of Korea, together with project consultant George Aquino, to visit the Don Carlos Hilado Memorial State Colleges in Brgys. Estefania and Alijis which currently has 7,000 students. He said the school produces 2,000 graduates every year which they hope to increase in order to meet the demands of Korean firms for additional skilled workers, once the project is realized. Puentevella said he will see the South Korean Ambassador to request for a feasibility study grant for the project that will be able to provide the graduates direct employment with some of the Korean businesses now established in the Philippines.

He said Hanjin Ship Building Corp. in Subic, the fourth biggest ship-building company in the world and one of the top business companies in the country, is now looking for skilled workers like carpenters, welders, electricians, maritime architect and engineers, among others,.

Puentevella said that in a few more years, Hanjin, which is a Korean firm, will employ between 20,000 to 30,000 people.

Meanwhile, Puentevella said the President intends to sell half of the Bacolod airport to use the money to pay for the loan of the new airport in Silay. He said he doesn't know how to convince her to change her mind and that there has already been a disposal committee formed headed by Presidential Assistant Lito Coscolluela.

Puentevella said personally, he wants the Bacolod airport to become a special economic zone or a public port since the city only has private ports.

The solon together with Park and Aquino, visited the airport in Silay yesterday along with representatives of the Yooshin Engineering Corp. one of the top four Korean consultant firms, who will finish the details of the feasibility study on the access roads.

Puntevella said the 4-5 kilometer McKinley access road is now being constructed and will be visited by the President on July 13. "When she visits the place she will discover that the 500 meter extension on the runway which I asked her to approve has not even been started," he said.

Puentevella said the people at the Department of Transportation and Communication are now finger-pointing at each other. He said he believes that the bureaucratic red tape is the reason for the delay.

He said the construction of the 10.2 kilometer access road from the circumferential road to the new airport is also being started. He said the feasibility study will be finished in about three months and the road will be finalized and opened in 2011.

As for his birthday wish, Puentevella said he wants all the projects and infrastructures he has envisioned including his legislative agenda realized.

"Hopefully we can see Negros grow faster through the new airport and his dream to have an international convention center with the help of the provincial and city officials realized," he said.

Puentevella said he also hopes to help in the promotion of tourism in Southern Negros for future investments.*CGS

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