Iloilo biz groups to hold investors’ forum in Makati

ILOILO CITY – The Iloilo City government and the business sector are launching a massive campaign to attract investors in information technology (IT), tourism and agribusiness.

Lea Lara, executive director of the Iloilo Economic Development Foundation (ILED) and Iloilo Business Club (IBC), said they will mount an investors’ forum and product exhibition at the Renaissance Hotel in Makati September 16, 2009.

Lara said they plan to invite to the forum Ayala Group, SM Group, Megaworld Corp and other business giants in the country.

“This is a coming out party for the city and province of Iloilo as the next investment hub. We will ask help and attract investors in agribusiness, tourism and IT. We will also exhibit Ilonggo products during the activity. The club and the foundation are working on the details of the activity which was conceived last year,” Lara said.

Lara said they initially planned to hold the forum October last year but it was postponed because of the economic crisis and effects of Typhoon Frank.

ILED is a non-stock, non-profit organization founded by key representatives from the local government, business community and private individuals. The foundation is committed to fast track the development of the City and Province of Iloilo by promoting and marketing Iloilo as a premier investment destination.

ILED is chaired by Alfonso Uy, La Filipina UyGongco Corp. chair, while Rex Drilon II, chief operating officer of Ortigas and Co. Limited Partnership, is the foundation president.

The business sector and Iloilo City government continue to attract investors in Iloilo after the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) approved the application of Megaworld to accredit its proposed P1.5billion IT park.

Peza director general Lilia de Lima informed the Iloilo City council last week about the approval of Megaworld’s accreditation bid.

The IT park, which will be known as the Iloilo Business Park, is located on the 54-hectare old airport site in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.

Megaworld bought the lot from the national government for more than P1 billion in 2007 and will develop the area into a “live, work and play” hub.

PEZA grants fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to developers of economic zones, export producers, and IT service exporters, and offers ready-to-occupy locations to foreign investors who are export producers or IT service exporters in world class and environment friendly economic zones and IT parks or buildings.

Lara said the PEZA accreditation is a positive development in their efforts to attract more investments in the city and province of Iloilo.

“Iloilo is ready because we have the resources and the space. It is just a matter of packaging the city and province to lure investors. Iloilo has a distinct advantage in the IT industry. While the local government unit stand to lose a lot in terms of real estate taxes, the jobs that will be generated by the presence of IT firms in these Peza sites are already a good trade off,” Lara added.

There are now six PEZA accredited sites in Iloilo City: Amigo Mall and Robinsons Place in Iloilo City proper district; SM City in Mandurriao which hosts call center firm TeleTech; Gaisano City Mall in LaPaz district; and Iloilo Commercial Development Corp. (ICDC) building which houses ePLDT Ventus in Molo district.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Trenas said the presence of PEZA sites bolsters the city’s standing as one of the hottest BPO sites in the world.

In its Exploring Global Frontiers report released in February 2009, auditing firm KPMG recently cited Iloilo City as one of the next generation BPO sites in the world.

The Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) also cited Iloilo as one of the “Top 10 Next Wave of Locations for Outsourcing in the Philippines” outside Cebu and Metro Manila.

Iloilo City ranked third in the CICT-BPAP-DTI scorecard with a rating of 80.93%.

The CICT-BPAP-DTI scorecard computed the scores using the following criteria: Availability of Talent – 50%; Infrastructure – 30%; Business Environment – 15% and Cost – 5%.