North Luzon commission taps call centers to provide employment

SAN FERNANDO, La Union – North Luzon Growth Quadrangle Commission Executive Director Hermenegildo Dumlao said the government will collaborate with call center companies to boost job generation in North Luzon. The NLGQC chief had been closely working on this with the reputable Convergys, Asia Call Center Link and other groups.

He said the initial target is 10,000 call center agents and customer service representatives.

The commission which is the government’s main plank in promoting and developing the northern provinces as business and investment hub held a job fair at the University of Northern Philippines in Vigan last June 21. "This is part of our job placement objective," Dumlao said.

On the President’s aim to decongest Metro Manila, Dumlao said that the provision for road networks is supportive of this goal which he said the NLGQC is pursuing with the "great help" of Mrs. Arroyo and the national government.

He cited the North Luzon-Cordillera Transworld Heritage Highway Development Project as a major breakthrough in the Commission’s infrastructure program.

Other road projects are North Luzon Expressway East, Baguio-Aritao Road, Suyo-Cervantes-Mankayan-Abatan road, and Cervantes-Sabangan road.

Local airports and seaports are also targeted for development, he said, such airports being those in Vigan, Laoag, and this city. The seaports include Poro Point here, Salomague in Ilocos Sur, and Sta. Ana in Cagayan.

"Combined, these seaports and airports are immense gateways to Northern Luzon and will perk up trade and tourism, create jobs, and hasten economic development," Dumlao stressed.

He aired optimism that once these projects are completed, the North would be an investors’ haven given its proximity to the Taiwan-Southern China, Hong Kong growth triangle. – Teddy Molina