Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia met with the IT Focus Team yesterday in preparation for their quest to help the Information and Communications Techonolgy sector in Bacolod City in the next three years.

Councilor Jocelle Batapa-Sigue said they hope to increase the program in human resource development for the whole ICT sector. Batapa-Sigue yesterday thanked the Mayor for directing Executive Assistant Joe Marie Vargas to concentrate on ICT and Human Resource. She said this only shows that the city government under the Leonardia administration considers it a priority to undertake programs for human resource and to address the concerns of the ICT.

Leonardia said the IT Focus team has helped create 2,000-3,000 new jobs in Bacolod. He said one of the thrust of his administration is to maximize the benefits out of the partnership of the private sector and the government.

Batapa-Sigue said they would like Bacolod, through the support of the Mayor, to be the trendsetter for local governments in Negros and Western Visayas

IT Focus Team member Andrew Regalado said Bacolod is able to compete globally since it is dealing with foreign investors already and the Mayor is setting the trend in this part of the country. Bacolod is becoming an IT hub because of the support of the city government, he said. Eventually Bacolod will become the financial and IT hub of this part of the Philippines because of the foresight the Mayor and for his sustaining the gains of IT.

The IT Focus Team was recently cited by the Go Negosyo Bacolod as one of the 2007 Outstanding Bacolod Business-Support Organizations.

It was created by virtue of Executive Order No. 8, Series of 2005 signed by Leonardia on May 27, 2005 designating as chairman Batapa-Sigue, being also the chairperson of the Committee on Communications and Energy of the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod.*CGS

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