TACLOBAN CITY – Leyte’s gains in global employment competitiveness and business investments were cited during an industry forum hosted by the provincial government.
In his message, Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla said the industry forum has provided greater collaborative linkages between the academe, the industry and the government in creating an effective program that will match requirements with available supply of graduates or skilled workers from different educational institutions currently needed by the industry.
“More importantly, it has opened doors for the province to be a competitive link in the supply chain as well as a business destination,” Petilla said during his speech at the forum held on Thursday (Sept.29) at the provincial capitol building.
Jescyn Kate Ramos, unit head of the Leyte Tourism and Investment Promotion Center (LTIPC), said the event originally aims to establish a tie-up between schools and industries particularly on how the school curriculum can be refined to the modern technology requirements of the industries.
However, the forum, now on its 10th year, has also brought industries and partnerships that help local businessmen.
Ramos, among others, identified the accomplishments out of the holding of the forum the following: introduction of new businesses such as Oishi and Gardenia and the signing of a memorandum of agreement between Max’s Group of Companies with the Leyte Federation of High Value Crops and Vegetables where the latter will supply the former with their needed farm produce.
Also pointed out as an important impact of the program was that state universities and colleges in the province have developed programs that suits manpower requirements; faculty-student immersion such as the Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Corporation; academic linkages and provision of IT equipment.
Among the speakers during the two- day event were top honchos of The Oriental Hotels Resorts, Maxim Integrated Philippines, Applied Machining Corporation, Palafox Associates, Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining Corporation and Costales Farm Tourism Philippines of Majayjay, Laguna. (AHLETTE C. REYES)
