MORE NEWS, BAGUIO CITY

Lack of telecom facilities: Baguio City removed from RP list of IT hubs
By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY — Players in the Information Technology industry have removed this mountain resort city from the list of the major IT and call center hubs in the country due to the lack of sufficient telecommunication infrastructure facilities that would guarantee continuous service to foreign and local clients.

This was reported by Trinidad C. Trinidad, executive director of the Baguio-Benguet Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc., who said that it is now high time for the government to adopt appropriate measures that would attract telecommunication investors to come to this city and build the needed facilities for advanced IT operations.

She said that IT and call center companies expanding their operations in the Philippines go to Cebu, Davao, Clark or Subic because of the presence of three or more service providers that could guarantee their uninterrupted service to their clients in the different parts of the world. In this city, it is only the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and Smart Telecommunications Co. which are considered as advanced telecommunication service providers of the call centers here.

Trinidad said the delisting of this city as one of the IT and call center hubs in the country is a big setback and contrary to the repeated pronouncements of national and local officials that this city is fast becoming the IT and call center hub of the north.

While business in this city remains in good shape despite the economic slowdown in the United States and unabated oil price increases, Dennis Sy, president of the Baguio Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the government, both national and local, must adopt appropriate programs and projects that are designed to boost investors’ confidence in a certain area like Baguio City so that the desired economic growth in the areas outside Metro Manila can be achieved.

In the case of this city, businessmen have time and again prodded local officials to formulate a local investment plan to serve as a plus factor for prospective investors to locate their businesses here especially in the telecommunication industry in which the city is falling behind.

Trinidad said that IT and call center companies have greatly helped in providing employment to thousands of residents, but the delisting of the city as one of the IT and call center hubs in the country could adversely affect the economic gains which the city has achieved in the past several years.

Ironically, telecommunication companies are having second thoughts of investing billions of pesos for the improvement of their facilities to cope with the advancement of technology because of the allegedly huge capital needed due to the mountainous terrain and the low return of investment caused by a small market.


Baguio fashion engineers fuse flair in Panagbenga
By ISAGANI S. LIPORADA

BAGUIO CITY – It’s no secret that most of fashion's biggest names weren't born to design royalty. Fact is, most of them weren't even raised in fashion capitals like New York or Paris. Ralph Lauren, for instance, was a road salesman for ties; Coco Chanel, a clerk in a hosiery shop; Tom Hilfiger was a freelance designer for Jordache jeans; Giorgio Armani was a buyer's assistant for a department store; and Salvatore Ferragamo started as a factory worker making cowboy boots.

Nestled about 5, 000 feet above sea level and 252-kilometers away from the country’s fashion capital Manila, budding fashion engineers of equally obscure beginnings finally share the “follow spot” in their bid to get Baguio acknowledged, not only as a “city of flowers” but formally, a “fashion fiefdom” in its own.

The newly-formed Fashion Council of Baguio in a rave conference with media, Feb. 7 announced a three day fashion fête from Feb. 21 to 23 at the Baguio Country Club Multipurpose Hall. This, in line with the biggest and most buoyant February Panagbenga Flower Festival here. The event climax is a runway exhibit 6:30 p.m. of Feb. 22, featuring the royal bridal line of Gems Bautista – Datu; haute couture of Dan Delima; and the works of Olec Nalupa, Paulino Sanglay, Harold Dominguez, Rian Fernandez, and fiberweb specialist Narda Capuyan. It shall be capped by the “1st Panagbenga Fashion Awards” later in the evening.

Squeezing the 22nd are exhibits of clothing lines and art photos by Baguio’s budding, national and internationally acclaimed designers, photographers and stylists. Nalupa who chairs FCB said, “The FCB was conceived December of 2007, after a number of local artists saw the need to fuse their talents in order to be more competitive with designers from Manila and Cebu.”

“However,” he added, “the core of our team have been in the scene as early as the 1990’s, starting out as pageant PA’s (production assistants) and stylists… most of us were students then, even hailing from different schools.” Nalupa, along with friends Delima, Chai Ramos, and Erroz Goze were students from University of Baguio, University of the Philippines – Baguio, Baguio Colleges Foundation (now University of the Cordilleras), and Saint Louis University, respectively when their creative geniuses crossed ways in 1995.

“We met through friends organizing similar events and formed the Brown People Organization then,” Delima recalled. He added, “We continued adding new artists, new friends through the years, and now, we have metamorphosed a formidable lineup that actually acts as a support system.” “FCB,”

Nalupa explained, “is just a means to an end… and the end is not competition among Baguio artists but an avenue for opportunities.” Unknown to most fashion pundits, Nalupa, Delima, Ramos and Goze have been instrumental in honing and “dressing up” some of the country’s most prominent beauties.

Starting as pageant hands in 1996, staging the Mutya ng Pilipinas – Baguio until 2001, the formidable four have made it possible for Sheryl Lou Franco (Miss Earth Philippines Water, 2004), Vera Reiter (Binibining Pilipinas International , 2006), and Leizl Verces (Binibining Pilipinas 2007) to make known of the Baguio beauties’ international patina.

Credit likewise goes to them for adding the names billboard icons Kylene Ganigan, Melanie Calano, Eden Sta. Maria, Megan Hartchuck and fashion model-turned actress Angel Aquino in the local and international fashion industry’s “who’s who.”

“They practically walked into our lives while we ate pizza along Session Road,” Nalupa describes their luck in discovering their bevy of beauties. Currently, the group even has 1977 Binibining Pilipinas Universe Anna Lorraine Kier among its consultants. Topping the group’s exploits are the accomplishments of Delima which he unselfishly shares with his associates.

He was won a fashion photography “star” recently in Hong Kong; a 2nd place medal in a national fashion designing organized by a local women’s mag; and the Smirnoff Fashion Awards for his eye in shooting art photos. Nalupa said, “Our goal is to provide avenues for greatness for those who share the same zeal with us in the business… Anybody can join us and once opportunities come knocking, we won’t even hold our talents back.


Beneco opens Maharlika pay center
BAGUIO CITY -- The Benguet Electric Coop. opened its latest collection center here at the Maharlika Livelihood Center last week.

The Beneco consumer services department relocated its small collection center from the first floor to a bigger location at the second floor of Maharlika when it became available recently.

About two thousand consumers pay daily at the Maharlika collection center during peak collection days, based on the number of bills collected that means a P2 million collection for the cooperative, according to Collection supervisor Thelma Magat.

It is the second biggest collection center of Beneco next to its Bunoan collection center.

“The Beneco board approved CSD manager Brenda Carling’s proposal during our Nov. 6 regular meeting, to improve our service and allay the suffering and discomfort of our consumers forced to wait in a long line,” said lawyer Benny Bomogao, Beneco’s new board president.

Compared to the cramped floor area that can only allow four tellers to collect from its old location, the second floor paying site can now accommodate eight tellers and tripled the number of paying consumers who can be seated inside.
“In our new office, from four tellers, we will increase it to eight tellers to serve our paying consumers to collect during peak collections that usually cause very long lines at the Maharlika ground floor and obstructing other stalls that sometimes result in heated arguments between paying consumers and stall owners, “ Carling said.

The bigger space can now accommodate about 70 consumers seated comfortably in an air-conditioned room while awaiting their turn to pay, instead of standing on queue.

Steps are also being undertaken to increase the queue numbering to give chance to consumers to do other errands first instead of waiting in line, to be programmed in the Beneco numbering machine. – Laarni Sibayan