Baguio stripped from Cyber corridor

INFORMATION Technology (IT) industry players have delisted this mountain resort city as one of the primary IT and call center hubs in the country due to the lack of sufficient telecommunication infrastructure which would guarantee continuous service to their foreign and local clients.

This was disclosed by Trinidad Trinidad, executive director of the Baguio-Benguet Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (BBCCII), who added that it is now time for government to come out with appropriate measures to attract telecommunication investors to come to the city and put up the needed facilities for advanced IT operations.

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She added IT and call center companies expanding their operations in the Philippines prefer to go to Cebu, Davao, Clark or Subic because of the presence of three or more service providers which could guarantee uninterrupted service to their clients in the other parts of the world.

In the city, only the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) and sister company Smart Telecommunications provide telephone lines for call centers.

Trinidad said the delisting of the city is a big setback to the repeated pronouncements of national and local officials that the city is fast becoming the IT and call center hub of the North.

While business in the city remains in good shape despite the economic slow down in the US and the unabated oil price increases, Dennis Sy, president of the Baguio Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BFCCI), said government, both national and local, must adopt appropriate programs and projects which are designed to boost investor confidence in areas like Baguio City so the desired economic growth in the areas outside Metro Manila could be achieved.

In the case of Baguio, businessmen have time and again prodded local officials to pass the local investment plan to serve as a plus factor for prospective investors to infuse capital in the local scene especially in the telecommunication industry where the city is fast falling behind.

Trinidad said IT and call center companies have helped in providing employment to thousands of locals but the delisting of the city could affected the economic gains the city has achieved over the past several years.

Ironically, telecommunication companies are having second thoughts of infusing billions of pesos in improving their facilities to cope with the advancement of technology because of alleged huge capital needed due to the mountainous terrain and the rather low return of investment because of a small market. (DS)