The Bacolod IT Program has been cited as Best Local Government Practice in Western Visayas and Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Councilor Jocelle Batapa-Sigue will receive the award at the Iloilo Grand Hotel in Iloilo City today.

Presidential Management Staff chief Serge Remonde will be the guest of honor at the awarding ceremonies.

The Bacolod Information Technology Investment Program won first place in the 2006-2007 Best Public Sector Projects Awards for Western Visayas for the local government category as adjudged by the Regional Development Council.

The program was implemented by the Bacolod City government through the Bacolod City IT Focus Team chaired by Batapa-Sigue, which was created through Executive Order No. 8 Series of 2005 issued by Leonardia.

Adopting the multi stakeholder approach, Bacolod City embarked on a comprehensive set of programs geared towards the direction of the Philippine Cyberservices Corridor in order to gain from the rapidly growing information and communications technology (ICT) industry, Batapa-Sigue said in a press release from her office.

Before 2006, Bacolod City has no major outsourcing companies, the press release said.

The development generated about 2,000 jobs between 2006 and 2007 and by this year, will eventually hit about 4,000 jobs, it said. With this number, an average of thirty to forty million pesos a month in terms of direct salaries is locally circulating, the press release added.

Leonardia said “This is very inspiring. I am very pleased that the program has become a big boost to the economy in Bacolod City,” he said. This has given thousands of jobs to the people, has changed the complexion of the city and given Bacolod a new image, he added.

“This is the kind of business that tells us that, indeed, Bacolod City is among the premier cities in the country,” Leonardia said.  The award is extra special because it comes on the heels of the announcement from the MoneySense survey, that was based on the Asian Institute of Management and United Nations Development Programme surveys, that Bacolod City is number one in the list of 20 “best places to live” in the country, he said.

Leonardia said he credits Batapa-Sigue and the members of the Bacolod IT Focus Team who have participated and worked hard in a joint effort with government to bring in the big time investors to Bacolod City.

“This is one very good example of how far we can go when the private sector and government join hands,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Marine Engine Swap to Reforestation Project of Negros Occidental landed second place, and the Guisi Community-Based Heritage Tourism Project of Guimaras third place in the 2006-2007 Best Public Sector Projects award in Western Visayas.*CGS

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