PGMA's Speech during the Opening Ceremony of the first E-Services Philippines I.T. Exhibition and Interactive Business Investment Seminar |
Jetro Business Support Center Tokyo, Japan (03 Dec 2002) |
| THANK YOU VERY MUCH
SECRETARY ROXAS. MR. WATANABE, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF JETRO; MR. IZUKA, ALSO OF JETRO; SECRETARY GENERAL TAKASHI ONDA OF THE ASEAN-JAPAN CENTER; MR. SHOICHI KAMEYAMA, THE PRESIDENT OF JCCI-MANILA; MEMBERS OF THE PHILIPPINE DELEGATION -- PHILIPPINE OFFICIALS AND BUSINESS DELEGATION BOTH; SENIOR EXECUTIVES AND OFFICERS OF JETRO; DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN JAPAN; AND OF COURSE, THE OTHER ORGANIZERS, SPONSORS AND EXHIBITORS OF THE FIRST PHILIPPINE I.T. EXHIBITION & BUSINESS SEMINAR IN JAPAN, GOOD AFTERNOON. IN BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE FILIPINO NATION, I THANK ALL OF YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS EVENT THAT MARKS A NEW AND EXCITING PHASE IN PHILIPPINE-JAPANESE TRADE AND INVESTMENT RELATIONS. I THANK IN PARTICULAR THE JAPANESE BUSINESSMEN WHO ARE WITH US TO EXPLORE THE MANY POSSIBILITIES OF MUTUALLY REWARDING PARTNERSHIPS. MY THANKS TO THE ORGANIZERS OF THIS EXHIBITION AND SEMINAR: JETRO, METI, THE JAPANESE EMBASSY IN MANILA -- MR. AMBASSADOR -- THE PHILIPPINE DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY, THE PHILIPPINE EMBASSY AND OUR EVENT SPONSORS: THE ASEAN-JAPAN CENTER, THE JAPANESE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY OF THE PHILIPPINES AND MEGAWORLD-EASTWOOD CITY CYBERPARK, AND ALL OUR SPEAKERS AND EXHIBITORS FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THIS PHILIPPINES FIRST "E-SERVICES PHILIPPINES: I.T. EXHIBITION AND BUSINESS INVESTMENT SEMINAR IN JAPAN" WE HAVE CHOSEN JAPAN TO BE THE FIRST COUNTRY OUTSIDE THE PHILIPPINES TO STAGE THIS E-SERVICES PHILIPPINES EXHIBITION TO SHOWCASE OUR UNIQUE OUTSOURCING CAPABILITIES WHICH GARTNER RESEARCH CALLS THE "BEST KEPT SECRET." BECAUSE JAPAN HAS A LONG HISTORY OF BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PHILIPPINES AND IT'S A WORLD LEADER IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY, AND LIKEWISE IN MANUFACTURING, TRANSPORTATION, CONSTRUCTION, ROBOTICS AND ANIMATION, TO MENTION A FEW, ALL OF WHICH DEPEND UPON INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES. IN THE AREA OF I.T. AND I.T.-ENABLED SERVICES, THERE IS A GROWING NUMBER OF JAPANESE INVESTMENTS AND OUTSOURCING INITIATIVES IN THE PHILIPPINES. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE IN THE FIELDS OF ENGINEERING DESIGN, SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT, DIGITAL ANIMATION AND BACK OFFICE OPERATIONS. THE PHILIPPINES HAS ALSO ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS A PRODUCTION SUPPORT CENTER FOR THE FAMED JAPANESE ANIME'. LIKEWISE, WE FUNCTION REMOTELY AS YOUR BACK OFFICE OPERATIONS IN DOCUMENTATION, ACCOUNTING AND HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SERVICES. WE ALSO PROVIDE YOUR BUSINESS' CUSTOMER SERVICES REQUIREMENTS IN ENGLISH AND IN OTHER ASIAN LANGUAGES THROUGH OUR NUMEROUS CALL CENTERS IN THE PHILIPPINES. THE JAPANESE COMPANIES THAT HAVE PARTNERED WITH PHILIPPINE-LOCATED I.T. FIRMS HAVE RECOGNIZED OUR QUALITY HUMAN RESOURCES WHOSE FLEXIBILITY AND CREATIVITY SET THEM APART FROM OTHER I.T. PLAYERS AS CITED BY A JETRO PUBLICATION, DATELINE, IN ITS NOVEMBER TO DECEMBER 2002 ISSUE. JAPANESE COMPANIES ARE SETTING THE TREND OF LOCATING THEIR I.T. AND I.T.-ENABLED OPERATIONS IN OTHER DEVELOPING HUBS IN OUR COUNTRY OUTSIDE METRO MANILA SUCH AS CALABARZON, SUBIC AND CEBU. THESE AREAS HAVE AN ABUNDANCE OF HIGHLY-TRAINABLE I.T. KNOWLEDGE WORKERS SUPPORTED BY THE PRESENCE OF TECHNICALLY COMPETENT SCHOOLS, GOOD TELECOMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES AND OFFER A LIFESTYLE COMPATIBLE WITH JAPANESE PREFERENCES. OUR EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE WOULD NOT BE COMPLETE IF WE WILL NOT CITE YOUR SUPPORT IN THE PROMOTION OF ACCREDITATION PROGRAMS FOR FILIPINO I.T. PROFESSIONALS VIA THE JAPANESE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STANDARD EXAMINATION OR JITSE. LIKEWISE, JETRO HAS HELD SEMINARS FOR LOCAL I.T. INDUSTRIES IN MANILA AND CEBU, BACKED UP BY A BUSINESS MATCHING SYSTEM IN THEIR WEBSITE THAT AIMS TO PROMOTE BUSINESS THROUGH THE INTERNET. I HOPE THAT MY ADMINISTRATION STRONG SUPPORT FOR ICT, WHICH WE RECOGNIZE AS A KEY DRIVER OF OUR ECONOMY, REASSURES THEJAPANESE COMPANIES OF THE CONTINUED GROWTH OF YOUR ICT INTEREST IN OUR COUNTRY. I PERSONALLY HEAD THE I.T. AND E-COMMERCE COUNCIL OF THE PHILIPPINES. THIS IS OUR COUNTRY'S HIGHEST I.T. POLICY-MAKING BODY THAT COUNTS AMONG ITS MEMBERS MOST OF OUR RESPECTED I.T. INDUSTRY AND BUSINESS LEADERS. OUR ECONOMIES' RESPECTIVE STRENGTHS COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER VERY WELL. JAPAN'S LEADERSHIP IN VARIOUS TECHNOLOGICAL FIELDS CAN BE ADEQUATELY SUPPORTED BY THE PHILIPPINES' LARGE POOL OF QUALITY HUMAN RESOURCES WITH HIGH I.T. LITERACY, TO BOOST OUR JOINT I.T. PROSPECTS AND TAKE THEM TO UNCHARTED HEIGHTS. IN THIS REGARD, WE WISH TO FURTHER INTENSIFY OUR MUTUAL INITIATIVES IN E-SERVICES THROUGH THE FOLLOWING: ACCELERATION OF THE PROMOTION OF JAPANESE INVESTMENTS AND OUTSOURCING PROJECTS INVOLVING I.T. AND I.T.-ENABLED SERVICES; INTENSIFICATION OF THE CONDUCT OF TRAINING PROGRAMS RELATED TO ICT INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT, WORKER SKILLS UPGRADING, AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT; CONTINUATION AND EXPANSION OF THE EXISTING CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS THAT ATTUNE FILIPINO I.T. WORKERS TO JAPANESE STANDARDS; FAST TRACKING OF INFORMATION EXCHANGE BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES TO FURTHER DEVELOP OUR RESPECTIVE ICT INDUSTRIES AND MARKET. THE OPPORTUNITIES WE FACE ARE TRULY TREMENDOUS. WITH THIS "E-SERVICES PHILIPPINES: I.T. EXHIBITION AND BUSINESS INVESTMENT SEMINAR," WE ARE TAKING THE FIRST STEP IN REALIZING SUCH PROSPECTS. WE HOPE TOO THAT WITH THIS EVENT, WE COULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO VISIT THE PHILIPPINES AND ATTEND THE THIRD "E-SERVICES PHILIPPINES: I.T. OUTSOURCING AND SUBCON EXHIBITION" WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE FROM FEBRUARY 13th TO 15th 2003 AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IN METRO MANILA. OUR PHILIPPINE DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY, WHICH IS ORGANIZING THIS EVENT, WILL SET UP THE APPROPRIATE SITE TOURS AND VISITS OUTSIDE OF THE EXHIBITION AND PROVIDE BUSINESS MATCHING SERVICES ESPECIALLY FOR THE JAPANESE DELEGATION. THE PHILIPPINE BOARD OF INVESTMENTS, JAPAN DESK AND THE JETRO, THROUGH THE BUSINESS SUPPORT CENTER THAT HAS JUST BEEN ANNOUNCED TODAY BY MR. WATANABE, WILL PROVIDE THE NECESSARY SUPPORT TO FIRMS INTENDING TO OUTSOURCE TO OR LOCATE IN THE PHILIPPINES. SO WE ENSURE YOU OF THE FULL RANGE OF BUSINESS FACILITATION. IN CLOSING, I INVITE ALL OF YOU TO MAKE I.T. THE PHILIPPINES FOR ALL YOUR I.T. AND I.T.-ENABLED BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS. WE PROUDLY WELCOME YOU TO ASIA'S NEW E-SERVICES HUB, THE PHILIPPINES, AND DISCOVER FOR YOURSELF THE WORLD'S "BEST KEPT SECRET." WITH THIS, I DECLARE THE FIRST-EVER "E-SERVICES PHILIPPINES: I.T. EXHIBITION IN JAPAN" OFFICIALLY OPEN. THANK YOU. |