PEZA approves 1st IT park in Gensan

Sun.Star: GENERAL SANTOS CITY - The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) has approved one of two applications for the establishment of an Information Technology (IT) park in General Santos City, an official confirmed Thursday. Ellorence Cruz, Board of Investments coordinator here, said Mabuhay Technopark Corporation was recently registered by the authority to develop the Mabuhay IT Park within the heart of the city. "As the first IT park in the city, Mabuhay is set to take a leap that will mark GenSan's (General Santos) entry into the ICT sector," she said. "Mabuhay is a private-led initiative, envisioned to be the shining landmark for the ICT business in city." Cruz said the three-hectare project is set to be launched in January. Operating in 24/7 fully-secured community, the zone will serve as a one-stop facility capable of carrying voice, video and data services that would deliver a superior, reliable and secured network communications and back-up power supply, Cruz said. Complementing these will be the establishment of an incubation center consisting of nine "intelligent offices" (four small-sized of around 24 square meters, three medium-sized of about 35 square meters, and two large-sized of about 60-75 square meters each) and support facilities such as three conference facilities/training rooms, mini-exhibition hall, and a cafeteria. Cruz said pending approval from the Peza is the application of Mindanao Polytechnic College to also establish a separate IT park in this city, dubbed as the "Tuna Capital of the Philippines." She noted that with the approval of Mabuhay, locators in its park would get four to six years corporate income tax holidays. Also, imported equipment that would be brought in to the park would be duty free, she added. In the past few years, Gensan is positioning itself as an alternative Information and Communications Technology hub outside Metro Manila. Dorecita Delima, Department of Trade and Industry-Central Mindanao deputy director, earlier said the IT parks will be getting assistance from the local government and the local Trade department office. She added the IT parks will attract investors in the Business Process Outsourcing industry such as call centers, medical transcription, animation, architectural and engineering design, among others. The local trade department office and the City Government have been conducting "E-business" week celebration in the past few years in a bid to drum up the ICT potentials of the locality. Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr. said the locality's advantage in luring BPO players are its "quality human resources, the low cost of doing business and the presence of needed support systems such as telecommunication, accommodation and infrastructure facilities." "The city also offers incentives for all ICT investors. There are already transcription companies and independent software vendors that are operating in the city [who have availed of these incentives]," he said. - Sun.Star