Samar irrigation projects to get P4.7B till 2011

published October 30, 2008 in BusinessWorld and www.GMANews.tv

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — Irrigation projects here will get P4.7 billion in government funding until 2011.

Leo P. Cañeda, Department of Agriculture regional executive director for Eastern Visayas, said Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap has approved the four-year program that aims to raise Samar’s self-sufficiency in rice to 115% by that year from the current 56%.

The planned projects will irrigate up to 31,000 hectares of rice land in the three Samar provinces. The provinces of Samar, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar have 81,006 hectares of rice area, but only 6,033 hectares are supported with irrigation facilities.

"That represents only 7% of the total farm area. By any measure and by any indicator, 7% is very low. That’s the reason why the rice productivity enhancement program is not getting anywhere," Mr. Cañeda said.

Northern Samar has only 2,116 hectares irrigated area out of 31,537 hectares rice fields. Eastern Samar has 2,286 hectares of land supplied with water out of 17,377 hectares rice farms. Samar province, which has the largest rice area of 32,092 hectares, has irrigation system in only 1,631 hectares. "About 93% is waiting to be provided with irrigation intervention in Samar area," Mr. Cañeda said.

Irrigation support will raise average yield per hectare to 4.5 metric tons from the current 2.82 MT. Mr. Cañeda said they have projected annual yield of 1.5 million MT once the project is completed. The region’s current production is only 207,000 MT a year. "This will increase Eastern Visayas’ contribution to national output from 6% to 8%," Mr. Cañeda said. — Sarwell Q. Meniano, BusinessWorld

Provincial procurement depots planned

(published October 27, 2008 in BusinessWorld, www.GMANews.tv and Leyte Samar Daily Express)

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — The state-run Procurement Service (PS) Depot plans to put up an outlet in each of the 82 provinces in the country before the end of 2010 in a bid to ensure compliance to the procurement reform law.

PS Executive Director Estanislao Granados said in an interview that the target is attainable if all the 13 Department of Budget and Management (DBM) regional offices will exert effort in opening one provincial depot every quarter starting 2009.

"We have 13 regional directors nationwide. If all of them will open just one provincial depot per quarter, we can put up 52 depots next year," Mr. Granados said.

He said many DBM regional offices have tied up with provincial governments in preparation for the setting up of sub-depots outside regional centers.

A regional PS depot maintains stocks level worth P4 million-P6 million. An outlet sells commonly used office supplies and materials like bond paper, clips, ink, pens, as well as janitorial supplies.

Under the plan, a local government provide space for the depot, the Procurement Service office in Manila delivers the supplies, while the DBM regional office supervises the operation.

"The national government will not spend anything in setting up provincial PS depots. It is a partnership between PS Manila, DBM regional office and LGUs. At the end of the year, the profit is divided between the three entities," Mr. Granados added.

PS charges 4% of sales of supplies to government offices. This is used to pay the salaries of employees, space rental and other common operating expenditures.

Through the depot, the government saves on the conduct of bidding procedures since it is now centralized at the DBM and it also cuts bureaucratic red tape because purchases are done directly and faster.

Prices at the depot are lower than market prices.

In 2007, PS depots nationwide earned P2 billion against a P3-billion income target.

Compliance to the procurement reform law is still low because most of the outlets started operations only two years ago. This year, the revenue goal was raised to P3.5 billion.

"I think we will be able to attain this, considering that we have less expense this year. There are only two regional PS depot buildings that were programmed for construction in 2008," Mr. Granados said.

The PS Depot was created by Republic Act 9184, also known as "An Act Providing for the Modernization, Standardization and Regulation of the Procurement Activities of the Government and for other purposes." The law was approved in 2003, but due to funding constraints, the PS Depot was officially set up in August 2005. — Sarwell Q. Meniano

US-based call center firm to locate at Leyte ICT Park

From left, LSDE Staff writer Sarwel Q. Meniano interviewing APAC Customer Service Inc. Vice President in International Operation Mr. Doug Almond (infront of Meniano) their purposes in establishing first Call Center firm and job opportunity in Leyte together with Nizette V. Navia, Director in APAC Administration Services APAC Leyte Site General Manager JoeMar Tabarangao (right).


TACLOBAN CITY - Nasdaq-listed business process outsourcing firm APAC Customer Services, Inc. will start building its P200 million call center at the Leyte Information and Communication Technology Park next week and will need around 1,000 workers for full operation.

Apac Vice-President for International Operations Doug Almond said in an interview that their first training class will be held in January, and full production will be in Feb.

The top official said that Leyte is the right place for their first provincial location with its rich talent pool and business-friendly environment.

“I have actually been searching for more than two years for the right provincial location.
The province has a fiber optic backbone and connectivity is extremely important to us. That also made Leyte a very good candidate for us to locate,” Almond told Leyte Samar Daily Express.

Joe Mar Tabarangao, Leyte APAC site general manager, said that they will convert the 3,000 square meter gymnasium of the Leyte ICT Park into a very brand new production site. “We have a floor plan. It’s not just renovation but a complete build up of the gymnasium.”

APAC Administrative Services Director Nizette Navia told Express that they will build a world class facility at the Park that will house training rooms, recruitment areas, internet stations, sleeping quarters and other amenities for comfort and convenience of employees.

“Nothing different from what they will find in the best call centers in Metro Manila in that facility,” Navia explained.

Almond said that during the first day of the firm’s executive job’s fair at the Luxury Suite Hotel in this city, they have met competent workers in the province.

“The educational level is extremely high. Almost all of our applicants have four year degrees in college. It’s really great to see all of them. Even before we came here, we received more than 140 applications,” Almond said.

The BPO firm will conduct another jobs fair for call center agent on Nov. 14 to 16. Venue will be announced next week. The company expects about 2,000 to 3,000 applicants.

At the start, the call center needs 30 people for managerial positions and about 150 call center agents for its initial operation.

“We’ll start with 150 agents and we will grow into 1,000 and about 200 support staff. The expansion will depend on client growth,” Almond added. The target expansion is before the end of 2009.

APAC did an assessment for the entire Eastern Visayas region for the last five months covering 1.5 million residents that are between the ages of 19 to 25.

“We know that the educational level was extremely high and the talent pool was really large. That’s why we came here. We talked with the academe to try to get the feel for the number of graduates that we have,” he claimed. Leyte has 22 college schools with about 6,000 graduates every year.

“Actually, all we need is someone that has good communication skills and a positive attitude. We got state of the art training and we can teach qualified applicants how to be a proficient call center agent or how to be a professional manager,” he said.

The only qualification that the firm needs is 18-year-old workers and at least two years in college and with “a positive attitude.”

The firm is looking at expanding around Tacloban City, Ormoc City and Catbalogan City in Samar.

“There is absolutely room for growth but we need to control it. We’re gonna be working with schools and community in order to enhance the English skills and the call center training here in the region,” Almond stressed.

Navia said they will provide “above average industry compensation to the people” but it will depend on the skills level and expertise level.

Currently, APAC has two offices in Alabang, Muntinlupa City and one in Cubao, Quezon City with 4,100 workers. The Illinois-based firm has 12 sites in the United States with 5,000 workers.

Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla said that the presence of a major BPO firm in the province would help ease joblessness, now at 12% of the 1.8 million people in the province. (Sarwell Q. Meniano)

Sec. Yap urges Congress to immediately ratify Land Use Act

published in Leyte Samar Daily Express October 23, 2008

ORMOC CITY — Agriculture Secretary Arthur has issued an appeal to the Congress for the immediate passage of Land Use Act that would help in identifying areas that will be planted with biofuel crops to beef up the country’s biofuel self sufficiency.

In his recent visit to this city, Yap stressed that there must be an implementation of the law that would help them in their bid to convert millions of hectares of underutilized or idle lands that will be planted with jathropa, cassava and sugar.

“I appeal to the Congress that this is something that they must prioritize. If this law is implemented, that will help us identify areas that can be converted into cultivation of biofuel crops,” he said.

Early this year, the House of Representatives, the Department of Interior and Local Government and the University of the Philippines have agreed to join forces to work for the ultimate enactment of a Land Use Code, which will serve as a guide for the judicious and appropriate utilization of the country’s land resources.

The law will recognize lands for protection, production, settlements development, and Infrastructure development.

Initially, the agriculture department pinpointed some two million hectares of land in the country that will be devoted for biofuel production. Most of these are public lands of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Yap said that this proposed action is urgent considering that “biofuel has the real possibility to modernize the country’s agriculture.” Just like what’s happening in Brazil, biofuel stocks are local and their cars are using 100% biofuel.”

According to him, the country is only 50% sufficient of alternative fuel. The Biofuels Act of 2006 mandates a five-percent ethanol blend in gasoline by 2009 and a 10-percent blend by 2011.

Philippine Agricultural Development and Commercial Corporation (PADCC) President Marriz Agbon said in an interview with Leyte Samar Daily Express that starting 2009, the country will have a 230 million liters requirement of biofuel.

Currently, only the Leyte Agriculture Corporation in this city is the lone distillation plant in the country that produces bio-ethanol. The firm with a capacity to produce 300,000 liters monthly, processes sugarcane molasses into a biofuel.

“We encourage sugar millers to put up distillation facilities so that they can produce ethanol. There’s a big potential of this industry in the country because we have an excess supply of sugar and the price is not as good as before,” Agbon said. (Sarwell Q. Meniano)

Isuzu's P130 million training center to open in Tacloban

October 24, 2008

TACLOBAN CITY-The P130 million Auto Mechanic Training Center funded by the world’s largest automakers – Isuzu Motors will formally open November 18 at the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) regional office here.

Juan Sabulao, TESDA regional director said that the facility, which is the first of its kind in the country, is equipped with automatic transmission vehicles, trucks, diesel engines, gasoline engines and other training tools.

The center will be open to all poor but deserving students nationwide. Isuzu firm has tied up with the non-government organization Plan Philippines to identify trainees that would avail scholarship that will be financed by Isuzu in the next five years.

“The project will cover full support of living and educational fee for trainees, construction of dormitory to house the trainees while they complete their courses, advice for curriculum development and supply of training facilities and equipment,” Sabulao added.

He said that they have already started listing trainees for the first batch who are residents of economically depressed area supported by Plan Philippines initiatives. TESDA also tied up with the Department of Education to augment its alternative learning system program.

Plan Philippines and TESDA agreed to collaborate in developing a technical education program that seeks to produce top-class automotive technicians.

“We are happy to have this center in the region. This is part of Isuzu’s corporate social responsibility to help out the poor in the country,” Sabulao said in a news conference.

A day before the opening on November 18, 2008, top Isuzu executives from Japan will tour the multi-million facility. The training center constructed early this year has dormitory, water system, and recreational facilities.
The project was launched and the tripartite partnership was sealed through the memorandum of agreement (MOA) signing on January 31, 2008 in Shangri-La Hotel in Makati City by TESDA top officials, Plan International and Isuzu Motors.
Isuzu Philippines Vice President and former Isuzu Motors human resource manager Tomoki Umeda and Plan Japan Project Manager Aya Yamagata have been visiting the site and make arrangements with TESDA officials.

In it’s website, Isuzu Philippines Corp. revealed that their company is donating one NHR passenger van and Isuzu Motors Limited (IML) of Japan is giving one Crosswind XTi to the training center to help the government in carrying out its “altruistic goal of providing technical education to young and poor Filipinos.”

“We are confident that the two vehicles will be put to good use in training young Filipino students for automotive expertise. We believe that, in the end, the car industry and most importantly the Philippines will benefit from this,” said Isuzu Philippine Corporation President Keiji Takeda in a statement.

Isuzu Motors chose the country as the beneficiary of this training center considering that “37% of the country’s population lives below the poverty line, with some three million young people unable to receive education.”

According to Isuzu, the training will fill the poverty gap with the growing demand for auto technicians as the country registers more than five million motor vehicles each year.

Sabulao said that in its second year of operation, the training center would also upgrade skills of workers who have been in the automotive industry for many years now. “The center will be opened during evenings and weekends to accommodate retraining of workers.”

The training center is an “Isuzu Heart & Smile Project,” an integral part of the Japanese carmaker’s campaign to mark its 70th inaugural anniversary. (Sarwell Q. Meniano)