Aklan eyes developing ICT industry in province

The Aklan provincial government is converting its twin thrusts of agriculture and tourism into the development of the information and communications technology (ICT) industry.

In a weekly Kapehan media forum here, former Vice Gov.  Gabrielle Calizo-Quimpo, who now chairs the ICT-Aklan,  said the provincial government is bullish in embracing the ICT industry in the province.

“We are currently looking for locators who would be investing in a business-process outsourcing [BPO] to focus on tourism. I have also attended a training on precision agriculture recently in Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore,” she said last Saturday.

The weekly Kapehan sa Aklan is held at the ABMC Building at Northwestern Visayan College here.

Marsh Bernabe, ICT Council secretariat, said as part of the campaign to promote Aklan is its hosting a Victor (Visayas ICT Organization) Conference in 2018, adding several ICT organizations from government and non-governmental organizations will be invited to join the summit.

Among those to be discussed are the different challenges and concerns ICT firms are facing in the Visayas.

“Aklan province is unique in terms of opening up to the ICT industry, which the provincial government is funding through the council,” he said.

As the province starts its ICT industry, Gov. Florencio Miraflores approved the construction of  a new P1.5-million ICT building. “In the budget, costs of facilities are not yet included. The building has at least 16 workstations,” he said.

Part of the ICT program of the province is to train an initial 500 participants to engage in the BPO industry.

“We are actually targeting around 3,000 recruits. Currently, we are looking for a locator who will invest in a travel BPO in the province,” he said.

Guidon de la Cruz, secretary of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Aklan, said the business community is supporting the plan to open an ICT industry.

“We anticipate economic growth. More investors and more employees could benefit, among others,” said de la Cruz, who is also a member of the ICT Council.