Bacolod government’s IT, BPO hub bolsters province’s income

The provincial government of Negros Occidental has reported an increase in revenues from the operations of its three economic enterprise facilities in 2022.

Data from the Economic Enterprise Development Department showed the Negros First Cyber Center generated an income of P99.595 million from rentals, exceeding by more than 500 percent last year's target of P15 million.

"For the CyberCentre, we already expected that. That's precisely why we asked that the province manage it and true enough, it happened," Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said after delivering his New Year message at the provincial capitol's thanksgiving program.

In 2021, the provincial government took over the management of the capitol-owned CyberCentre, a three-story information technology-business process outsourcing complex accredited by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority in the city, after terminating its joint venture agreement with then partner, Negros Property Management and Development Corp. (NPMDC).

Pointing out that the partnership was found to have been "grossly disadvantageous" to the economic interest of the capitol more than four years after it was implemented, the province paid the NPMDC P57 million as compensation based on a mutual termination agreement.

Figures further showed that revenues from the catering services of Mambukal Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary reached P20 million, surpassing by P5 million the P15 million target set for 2022.

Improved collection efficiency also led to P51 million in total rentals paid by Ayala Land Inc. from its leased capitol properties, higher than the target P35 million.

Lacson said the province expects more local revenues with the operation of the Food Terminal Market of Negros Occidental, which has spaces for food court and meeting rooms, adjacent to the provincial capitol along the North Capitol Road here.

Meanwhile, among the six provinces in Western Visayas, Negros Occidental ranked No. 1 in three award categories given by the Bureau of Local Government Finance and Regional Association of Treasurers and Assessors in Region 6 Inc. last December.

From 2020 to 2021, the province was the top performer in terms of locally-sourced revenues, with a growth of 83.68 percent, economic enterprise collection efficiency of 245.57 percent and collection efficiency in four locally-sourced revenues of 88.49 percent.

Lacson, in his message to capitol executives and employees on Wednesday said, "New Year is always a hopeful time. Today, as we start a brand new work year, this should provide us with a good viewpoint to look over the past and look forward to the future."

"Everything we are doing is for Negrenses. We always keep them in mind. Whether it is social governance, economic and health governance," the governor also said.

He called on all employees of the provincial government "to work together with renewed sense of purpose and motivation, for public service is both a privilege and a blessing that we should all value and cherish."