Davao chamber urges city gov’t to push harder on tourism, BPO industry

DAVAO CITY, Jan. 11 (PNA) –- The Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (DCCCII) is urging the city government to work harder in promoting the tourism and business process outsourcing (BPO) industries to effectively bring in more investments here.

Simeon Marfori II, DCCCII president, said a lot of work still has to be done, especially with these two sectors that could help accelerate the economic growth of Davao City amidst the global financial crisis.

Marfori said even key players still have to decide whether the city would push for large convention sites or just a small convention city.

"Promoting the city for small events sites is better because it could retain the way of life among people as well as the values that we already have," he said.

He noted that although the BPO sector already has come up with strategies, it needs still to be pushed harder.

Davao City has already been promoted as preferred destination for BPOs, but this has to be pushed forward in order for investors to come, given the advantage that manpower could be supplied with 42 colleges and universities in the Davao Region, he said.

He said information and communications technology (ICT) has big opportunity to grow with proper coordination between the public and private sectors.

Davao City Council committee chair on trade and commerce Peter Lavina said ICT has bright prospects this year considering that companies abroad would tend to downsize their staff and might outsource some of their jobs.

He said the city is considered an ICT/BPO destination because of the cheaper outsourcing cost compared with other cities in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, Marfori said DCCCII, being an advocacy group, will continue its projects this year and will intensify the implementation of its programs as their way of pushing the city forward.