Tagbilaran emerges as new infotech hub

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Commission on Information and Communication Technology (CICT) has recently declared Tagbilaran City as an emerging information technology hub.

The move is part of the packaging of the Philippines as the Premier e-Services hub in Asia , while developing the countryside as an information technology (IT) hub or cyber-services corridor for various IT-oriented services. CICT Commissioner Dondi Mapa has been going around the country to assist in each locality's ICT strategic planning.

In Tagbilaran, with DTI provincial director Nanette Arbon, the team completed its strategic planning sessions last year and has sent a summary of the sessions to the DTI Regional Operations Group for improvement of the plan to develop the area. Bohol is among the few provinces that have been active in promoting their area as an ICT hub to potential IT locators,

Earlier, DTI and the CICT identified Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao important tiers of the Cyberservices Corridor. Later, it added Baguio , Dagupan, Tarlac, Sta. Rosa, Lipa, Legaspi, Naga, Bacolod , Iloilo , Durnaguete, Tacloban, Cagayan de Oro and General - Santos. Now, seen as emerging tiers are San Francisco (La Union), Cabanatuan , Puerto Princesa, Tagbilaran and Zamboanga. An area can be considered an ICT hub if it satisfies the availability of quality human resource, strategic location, reasonable cost of doing business and expanding infrastructure.

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