SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – Companies, schools and government agencies involved in information and communications technology (ICT) at the Subic Bay Freeport have formed a multi-sectoral organization to maximize industry prospects and boost the potentials of this freeport as a world-class ICT hub.
In a meeting organized by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) recently, the Subic Bay Freeport Zone ICT Advisory Council was formed with Atty. Severo Pastor Jr., manager of the SBMA Labor Department, elected as president.
Among the attendees to the organizational meeting were senior officers and delegates from various schools and ICT-related companies in Olongapo City and the provinces of Zambales and Bataan, network providers, representatives from the media and the academe, and government agencies like the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
“The Subic Bay Freeport Zone ICT Advisory Council has renewed enthusiasm in establishing a stronger network with more direct linkages to build a better partnership towards a more focused ICT industry,” Pastor said.
He admitted that a number of investors engaged in business process outsourcing (BPO) that found it hard to recruit qualified staff in the Subic Bay area eventually closed shop. However, BPO investors should not be discouraged by this and instead train their own workers to reach the desired level of excellence, he added.
“At the Hanjin shipyard, local workers used to work only with acetylene or stick welding machines. However, after providing training in various types of arc welding, Hanjin has become successful with plenty of locally hired welders,” Pastor pointed out.
Meanwhile, in a message read by SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator Joy Alvarado, SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said that in a short period of time, the Philippines has become one of the top outsourcing destinations in the world.
“We in Subic should take a chunk of that opportunity,” Garcia added.
