ICT confab, trade exhibit set

THE 2012 ZamPen ICT Conference and Trade Exhibit is set to be held in Zamboanga City.

At least 300 stakeholders composed of businessmen, academe, national government agencies, local government units, Information and Communication Technology professionals and enthusiasts and private individuals are set to converge in this city.

Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Regional Director Brenda Nazareth-Manzano said the exhibit is scheduled to be held on September 26.

Manzano said the confab and exhibit is part of the effort to promote Zamboanga City as the next target of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies.

The event’s theme “Harnessing ICT for Smarter Countryside,” will lead the way towards the development and understanding of knowledge, linking communication and technological gaps, building more sustainable projects, widening local and international networks, improving society in general, and of course envisioning Zamboanga City as part of the “Next Wave Cities” in the Philippines, and the rest of the region as an investment hub.

Manzano said Undersecretary Louis Napoleon Casambre, Executive Director of DOST-ICTO, will be the event’s keynote speaker.

Highlighting the road show, Manzano said, is an industry panel discussions of distinguished resource speakers from various ICT industry associations, such as the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP), Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP), Animation Council of the Philippines, Incorporated (ACPI), Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP), Healthcare Information Management Association of the Philippines (HIMOAP), and Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA).

Successful blogger and social media entrepreneur, BPO company owner, BPO project leader, call center supervisor, programmer, and parent of an IT/BPO worker are expected to share their experiences and challenges in taking advantage of the fast growing IT-BPO industry, according to Manzano.

Spreading the benefits of economic growth across the nation, the whole day event will tackle the following: the ICT industry and the “Next Wave Cities” in both government and private perspectives; Zamboanga City as a Next Wave City; Smarter Countryside; and, iGov Philippines.

Manzano said Sustainable Development Specialist based in Canada, Nicholas Luff, will make a presentation on “Developing Cross-Sector Partnerships at a Global Stage: Case Studies between the Philippines and Canada.

Mayor Celso Lobregat will officially welcome the delegates and host the Fellowship Night.

The road show is organized by Regional Information Technology and Electronic Commerce Committee under the Regional Development Council (RITECC–RDC) and Zamboanga ICT Council of Zamboanga City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation (ZICTC-ZCCCIF), with support of the Information and Communication Technology Office-Department of Science and Technology (ICTO-DOST), Department of Science and Technology Regional Office IX (DOST-IX) and the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines (NICP).

The ICTO-DOST is the Philippine government’s lead agency on ICT-related matters.

Its primary thrusts are: ICT Industry Development, eGovernment, ICT Policy Development, Internet for All, and Cybersecurity.

Participation to the one-day event is free-of-charge, according to Manzano.

Invitees and other interested individuals must confirm their attendance to the event secretariat of DOST at telephone numbers 991-1024 or 991 2051, and look for Thelma or Jill. You may also call NCC at 993-2878 and look for Leony or Christine or email at ritecc9secretariat@yahoo.com. (Bong Garcia)