Call centers eyed in La Union ecozone

SAN FERNANDO, La Union — President Arroyo has ordered the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) to conduct studies on the setting up of call centers at Poro Point here to benefit thousands of new college graduates in the Ilocos region.

"The President personally ordered me to come to Poro Point to help create jobs here. I think this (ICT project) is something that we want to generate jobs in La Union and (in the whole of) Region 1," said Commissioner Damian Mapa, who was here from April 17 to 19 to discuss the project.

Mapa heads the CICT’s strategic business development group tasked to create cyber service jobs.

He said the ICT centers envisioned at Poro Point would initially accommodate 1,000 call center agents.

In his presentation, Mapa recommended that the call centers be located in this city, which ranks third among emerging hubs for cyber services in the country.

Besides the call center plan, another job-generating project ongoing at the Poro Point special economic zone is the P1.3-billion Fiesta Poro of Thunderbird Pilipinas, an affiliate of the US-based International Thunderbird Gaming Corp.

The first phase of the Fiesta Poro project includes various tourism-oriented facilities like hotels, a casino, resorts, villas, a golf course, and commercial establishments.

The San Fernando airport is also being developed to accommodate international flights.