Tuesday, September 25, 2007 100 ICT players from BIMP to attend MICT confab By Joy Romares-Sevilla
AT LEAST 100 IT players from Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia are expected to attend the 6th Mindanao Information and Communications Technology (MICT) Congress slated on October 23-24 at the NCCC Mall of Davao.
Congress director Lizabel Holganza said that with his number of participants coming from the three countries, Mindanao can showcase its readiness in terms of information and communications technology.
"This is the best opportunity where we can show to our BIMP-Eaga partners na handa na tayo. Through ICT Congress, we can showcase the readiness of Mindanao," Holganza said.
But she was quick to add that Mindanao is indeed becoming an investment area, particularly Davao City, based on the number of investors who put up shops on the island.
A few months back, the Sutherland, a foreign-based call center company, started its operation in Davao City.
"The entry of Sutherland is an indication that Mindanao's business climate is doing better," Holganza said, adding that Davao City has an edge in terms of the cost of doing business compared to Manila and Cebu.
"The cost of doing business in Davao City is low," she said.
Holganza said this year's edition of the Mindanao ICT Congress will be different compared in the past staging of the congress.
"This time we will also conduct the first BIMP-Eaga Conference back to back with the 6th MICT Congress," she said.
She said the most exciting part of the event is that the organizers invited ICT players from BIMP-Eaga partners for the first time.
The MICT Congress is an adopted event of the Mindanao ICT Task Force, chaired and co-chaired by the Mindanao Economic and Development Council (Medco) and the Mindanao Business Council (MinBC), respectively.
The congress will be a venue for advocacy by both the private and the government sectors to make ICT an effective tool for development of Mindanao and its economy.
It also aims to prepare and equip Mindanao business community to compete in the international business area through active involvement.
