4 more BPO-ready sites in Bacolod seeking PEZA nod

BACOLOD CITY, Jan. 6 (PNA) – Bacolod City continues to strengthen its position as a top Information and Communications Technology hub in Western Visayas with the establishment of more information technology zones to attract more business process outsourcing (BPO) locators.

Aside from its seven presidentially-proclaimed IT zones, four more real properties and buildings here are seeking accreditation with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) to become IT zones as well, according to the Bacolod-Negros Federation for ICT.

These are the five-hectare Lopue's South Square, awaiting accreditation for both lot and building; 13-hectare Central Park; one-hectare JAKA Industries Property; and the Maybank Building, including a 1,700-square meter lot and 3,400-square-meter building.

Of the seven presidentially-proclaimed IT zones, six are occupied by large and medium-sized call centers: The Luxur Plaza IT Centre, 1.74 hectares, is home to Teleperformance; Monfort Information Technology Building, 0.94 hectare, Focus Pacific Communications; One Sanparq, 0.87 hectare, Convergys; The Block IT Park, 1.17 hectares, Next Level IT Teleservices; Robinsons Metro Bacolod, one hectare, Teletech; Lopue's East I T Center, one hectare, Telequest BPO; and Bacolod IT Park, two hectares, unoccupied.

Four other PEZA-accredited IT sites in Bacolod are awaiting presidential proclamations – the De La Rama Center, Everden Information Technology Center, Lopue's San Sebastian IT Center; and St. Francis IT Centre.

Bacolod ranks fifth over-all in the list of Top Ten Next Wave Cities for outsourcing outside of Metro Manila and Metro Cebu, based on the scorecard of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology, Business Process Association of the Philippines and the Department of Trade and Industry.

It topped the business environment category for having ready real estate locations, and an ICT federation.

Call centers in Bacolod now employ around 5,000 workers. Teleperformance is employing more than 1,200 employees while TeleTech has announced it has 2,000 people working in the city.