GMA opens investor relations hub in QC

President Arroyo inaugurated yesterday the Eastwood Locators’ Assistance Center or eL@C, a prime investor relations hub at the Eastwood City CyberPark in Quezon City.

The President, accompanied by Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr., pushed the ceremonial button marking the opening of the eL@C at the ground floor of IBM Plaza, an anchor business center at the CyberPark.

The center, according to Eastwood developer Andrew Tan of Megaworld Corp., will provide businessmen seamless entry to the Philippine business structure through a full range of value-added services tailored to their requirements.

"It is a one-stop information and action center that will provide a more efficient line of services for foreign investors in the country," he said.

With an abundant information and communications technology work force, the Philippines is considered a potential major player in the global industry of information and communications technology (ICT).

Already, the country is seeing an influx of call centers, animation studios, software and IT-engineering companies.

Tan said most of these companies are already in Eastwood, comprising a dynamic IT community that is fast gaining a favorable reputation abroad. Aside from inaugurating eL@C, the President also made the rounds of the call centers at the CyberPark where she interacted with employees.

In her remarks, the President noted that a caller in the United States thought that he was ordering products from New Jersey, but was surprised to discover that he was in fact, dealing with a Filipino working in Quezon City.

CyberPark is home to a number of the largest call center operations such as the Customer Contact Center of the Lopez Group, e-Telecare and Citibank. – M. Villanueva