Tom to meet with SRP clients today

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s dream of having a special project in the South Road Properties may come to a realization soon.

The special project of the mayor in the SRP includes a call center and school for undergraduate and post-graduate studies.

Earlier the city government donated five hectares in the SRP to the University of the Philippines in the Visayas Cebu College for a school building.

Osmeña wants UP to be the city’s partner in the manpower development in Cebu and for this reason, he donated a portion of SRP lot to the said institution.

This as the mayor sees Cebu as the premier training ground for Business Processes Outsourcing personnel in Southeast Asia.

As this developed, Osmeña revealed that a big Indian call center company is very interested in his concept and their representative is here in Cebu.

As a matter of fact, the mayor said that they will have a meeting today together with a UP representative to discuss the matter.

“We will be talking to a big call center company nga naay daghang call center all over the world kay interesado sila sa akong concept,” Osmeña said.

The mayor said that the call center can hire undergraduate applicants and while working, they can continue their studies in the SRP at the same time.

Would-be students of UP in the SRP don’t have to worry about their school fees since it will be shouldered by the call center company.

“Ang mga bright nga mga call center agent makatiwas gyud sila unya ang call center company maoy mubayad sa tuition ug nindot gyud ang eskwelahan kay UP,” Osmeña said.

Likewise, the mayor said that degree-holder call center agents can proceed to post graduate studies like master’s degrees and doctorate degrees.

This is because UP will soon establish a graduate business school and a continuing education program within the next few years.

Aside from the mixed-use call center and school, Osmeña said that condominiums, hotels and a huge shopping mall will also be built in the SRP soon.

Big investors like Filinvest Land Inc. and SM Prime Holdings are reportedly raring to start putting up such major developments in the SRP.

Filinvest has already bought 10 hectares in the SRP aside from the 40 hectares it inked with the city government through a joint venture agreement.

SM wants to buy 30 hectares in the SRP has already paid an initial down payment of P275 million while waiting for the awarding of their proposal. — Elly Bolonos/BRP (THE FREEMAN)