A CALL center company based in Iloilo City has called on the Panay Electric Company (Peco) to improve its power services so as not to hold hostage the city's investors.
Rom Agustin, Callbox founder and chief operating officer (CEO), said aside from Manila and Davao expansion plans, his company is considering making Iloilo its global headquarters.
Callbox was the first call center company to enter the city in 2003 and employed about 300 Ilonggos. It has a head office in Encino California, USA and is operating in Sydney, Australia; London, United Kingdom; Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
It maintains offices in Makati, Davao and its Iloilo office is located at Avescor Bldg., MH del Pilar St., Molo, Iloilo City.
Agustin said call centers and other information technology firms are considered as the sunshine industry today by bringing in thousands of job opportunities to the local people. There is much potential in Iloilo as the educational center of Western Visayas having a poll of educated people ready for the sunshine industry.
"Yet, it is very expensive doing business in Iloilo due to a much higher power utility rate and unreliable power service that help stagnate the business growth of the city. It is very lamentable that Peco comes in to help strangle the business growth," Agustin said.
The Callbox chief also said there seems to be lack of activism on the part of the National Government in doing something about it and Ilonggos are demanding for better utility service.
Agustin said that finger-pointing is not the answer to the problem since it will only confuse the people. What matters is the balancing of cost drivers of the IT industry such as labor, rental and power. (Lydia C. Pendon)
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