Ton Hens, country coordinator of PUM Netherlands Senior Experts, said yesterday that they have identified Bacolod City as a potential recipient of their expertise in the field of food and beverage, local transport and hotel accommodation.

Hens said PUM is a Dutch word for "project sending out managers." They have 4,000 experts in their data bank who have experience and knowledge in every sector and industry and their main targets are the small and medium-sized enterprises. He said they carry out an average of 2,200 projects a year worldwide and their advice is free of charge.

In 2005, Hen said they started with 25 projects in the country and in 2006 they were able to execute 67 projects. So there is a tremendous increase of the projects in the Philippines and in the first quarter of 2007 they have already done 27 projects and hope to implement the others in Negros and Mindanao, he said.

Hens said they have seven representatives in the Philippines - Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, Northern Mindanao, Southern Mindanao, Cebu and Negros. He said most of their projects are on the agro-industry, timber, hotel, tourism and a split of many other sectors. They are also going to send some people from the Amity Club to Holland for training, he added. Hens said they are doing a business linkage program which is aimed to link Philippine companies with the Dutch companies.

Nancy Pestaño, PUM local representative for Negros and Iloilo, said they have assisted the Social Action Center of the Diocese of Bacolod in professionalizing the management of the pharmacy "Alay Ko Kapwa Ko," so it can effectively serve the parishioner members of the Diocese and implemented other projects in the province.

Pestaño said they have a project on socialized housing designs in Talisay and have also assisted a company in Escalante in improving the design of the expansion phase of its private port. Right now they have new applicants from other local governments like Himamaylan which intend to get experts on fishery, she said. A few of their upcoming projects cover marine resources, coastal management, environment-related, she added.

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said "We are very pleased with this development because this will establish another link for Bacolod City. With globalization, we believe Bacolod is ready to link itself to the rest of the world, he said.

Leonardia said that, aside from the expertise of PUM, they have started to explore a sisterhood relationship with Netherlands and this will be among the things they will further discuss.

Hens said they want to pursue the twin city agreement because there are many projects they want to do here.

Hens also said he wished the Mayor and the other newly elected officials success in the development of Bacolod.*CGS

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