Saturday, July 26, 2008 Aussie volunteers willing to help Davao ICT trade By Joy Romares-Sevilla
THE director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Davao City said that his agency recently conducted a discussion with Australian business volunteers on how to further improve the information and communication technology (ICT) industry in Davao City.
Teolulo T. Pasawa, DTI Davao director, said in an interview that Australian business volunteers visited the city on Wednesday to provide consultation for ICT stakeholders, especially the small-scale in the ICT industry.
"We had roundtable talks and discussions. These volunteers are successful business executives, they were here to help stakeholders in the small-scale ICT industry improve by linking them with a potential partner," Pasawa said.
Pasawa, on the other hand, agreed that the ICT industry is one of the most promising sectors in the country since it can create a lot of jobs and contribute to the overall economy of the country.
Earlier, Nicasio Angelo Agustin, regional director of the National Economic Development Authority (Neda), told Sun.Star the utilization of information and communication technology (ICT) has now permeated business and government operations in rural areas.
"As the regional economy is further drawn into global economy, the demand for ICT is likely to expand," Agustin said.
Likewise, business process outsourcing groups, such as call centers and medical transcription services, have become important contributors to the local economy.
"The expansion of call centers outside Metro Manila is expected to continue despite the peso appreciation because of high global demand and availability of skilled and relatively cheaper human resources," he said.
