outstanding local newspaper For Five Consecutive Years St. Peter Baptist Catholic Mass Media Awards www.bikolreporter.webs.com -mail: runaar_r@yaoo.com regional exponent for progress 3rd Floor , GERONIMO BLDG., BARLIN ST ., NAGA CITY • TELEFAX: (054) 475-62-62 • CP 0921-3183720 / 0919-2822901 / 0920-5337766 (Turn to page 6) (Turn to page 7) vol. xxi, no. 2 Bicol, the philippines august 18-24, 20 13 p5.00 Gv. salceda ( 473-8888 Danamd 2013 LGU of hY arSalceda hails SMC tak e o v er of Aleco AplarMaawards Mysarion (See story on page 7) leGaZPi ciTY – abyvw thp- bty f bugmtsMgucpt(sMc) tthpv- th“butphy” tht futh- taby’ vpmt gtht x y. Lgazpi mayor wans morjofairs Maor ROSAL leGaZPi ciTY - lgzpcty Myne. rugthPubempymt svof- ce (PESO) of this city to conduct more job fairs to gvthty ttut, ptuy thu- guthgh htut, pptuty tgt mpy. Rosal disclosed that two international companies, the American-based Sutherland Global Services and Austra- lian rm One Half Philip- pines have established call center facilities in the city. Sutherland has a capacity of 1,200 seats and has ofces near the seafront in Embarca- dero de Legazpi, while One Half Philippines established a 500-seat call center at the former Bicol Hair building in Barangay Bonot here donated by a Japan ese company to the City Government of Legazpi. The two giant rms are already operating their call center businesses wherein some of fresh graduates ofthe city are employed. Rosal said the Informa- tion and Business Process Outsourcing Association ofthe Philippines awarded Legazpi City in 2012 forhaving the most effective ICT council and local gov- ernment unit during the term of his wife formerMayor Geraldine Rosal. He said his administra- tion will continue to invite other investors from dif- ferent parts of the country SMC, one of the coun- try’s largest independent power producers, may pos - sibly take over the manage- ment of the cash-strapped Albay Electric Coopera- tive (Aleco), which was recently cut off from the national power grid for its mounting debts and failure to fully pay its monthly billings. Energy Secretary Jer- icho Petilla, who visited Albay on Thursday, con- rmed SMC’s interest to JMR DAY Camarns Sr 3rd DsrcRprsnavLnRordo sowng a poo of laScrarJssM. Rordo drng poo xld aPlaa Ral, Naga C. WRprsnavRordo s r dagr Jllan and somcall mplos. take over of Aleco, after SMC emerged as the sole bidder forthe power cooperative. Albay Gov. Joey Salceda hailed SMC’s interest to take over ALECO and said he con- siders it as another “business trophy that sends a strong sig- nal to the investment commu- nity of the Albay’s economic potentials.” Albay has recently be- come country’s fastest grow- ing economy, even with the constant threats of blackouts despite its vast geother- mal wealth, due to Aleco’s mounting debts which has now reached P 4 billion. With a stable electric supply, the province is destined to soarhigher, Salceda said. “Given SMC’s vaunted management expertise and marketing clout, there are huge synergies that can fur- ther propel Albay to a higherlevel of economic stature,” he said, adding that since SMC operates Caticlan Airport, the principal ga teway to Boracay, it may be possible to establish a direct Legazpi-Caticlan airroute after the completion ofthe Southern Luzon Interna- tional Airport in Daraga, Al- bay to further enhance both tourism destinations. Having long been in the corporate world, Salceda said with SMC around, Al- bay will have not just stable power supply but also the conglomerate’ s strong brands and destination networks that will help enhance Albay as a prime tourist destination. In addition, he said, the “SMC group has distinguished it- self for impressive corporate results and corporate social
