Saturday, January 19, 2008 Allowing IT firm at KorPhil center beneficial: exec By Grace L. Plata
THE Korean-Philippines Vocational Training Center (KorPhil Center) administration defended its move in allowing an information-technology company to hold its offices within the center that was constructed through a grant from the Korean government through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda).
According KorPhil Center administrator Charity Cabal, the Philippines, especially locals who wish to be trained as call center agents will benefit greatly from the partnership.
"It is the president's aim to create more jobs and this is also one of Tesda's objectives. The Sutherland Company is ranked fifth in the international scale of biggest call centers and it was tapped by the President to invest in the country. Davao became the location of choice which was also endorsed by the president," Cabal said a phone interview Thursday.
Cabal added that Sutherland was the only company willing to invest the amount of US$800,000 in the city thus, they were the ones accommodated.
"Dili man gyud pwede himuon ug biz center ang KorPhil pero gipasulod sila sa president due to the fact that whatever the company has put-up in terms of structure and equipment will be left with Tesda when the memorandum of agreement expires in July 2008. So that means libre na atong equipment for the training of call center agents unya atong gihimo lang is gitagaan sila ug space na maka-train pud ug agents na i-absorb sa Sutherland when they construct their own call center here in the city," Cabal said.
In his last conversation with one of Sutherland's top executives, Cabal said the company is at the moment hunting for the perfect location where to build a call center which would be employing an estimate of 4,000 call center agents.
"As of now, the Sutherland It Education Training Center has 75 students who are undergoing product testing which is the last phase before they are accredited. But we have 300 trainees all in all," Cabal said.
However, Cabal said these students have the freedom in choosing which call center they want to apply in.
"Dili gyud ni competition with other call centers, kaning among gihimo with Sutherland. Ang mga bata pasagdan sila where sila gusto mu-apply. Pero katong gusto pud sa Sutherland mag-work kay dako ug chances na ma-absorb," Cabal said.
