Last October 1, no less than the Philippine President Gloria Arroyo officially opened the 29th MassKara Festival. It was a historic event since it was the first in the 29 years of MassKara Festival that a Philippine President graced the occasion.
This year’s theme is “Bacolod, City of the World” truly reflects the recent wave of developments in the city making it a major destination both for leisure and business. President Arroyo herself was very bullish for Bacolod citing it as a major tourism and call center destination inher speech during the MassKara Festival Opening.
To further boost economic growth and tourism in Bacolod and Negros Occidental, President Arroyo led the groundbreaking rites for the construction of a P1.5 billion, 10.12-kilometer access road from Bacolod City to the New Silay-Bacolod Airport in SIlay City. Motorists will be able to save 20 minutes of travel time using the access road compared when traveling via the coastal road. She has likewise directed DPWH Undersecretary Rafael Yabut to release P200 million to start the construction of the access road.
The President likewise inaugurated the Convergys contact center. The 6,000-square meter facility is located at One SanParq Square and currently employees 700 and is expected to increase to a thousand by the end of 2008. Convergys is just one of several BPO locators in Bacolod, which include Teletech and Teleperformance to name two of the major players.
More investments are expected for Bacolod City with these recent developments. Indeed, Bacolod is a city that is ready for the world and welcome those who wish to visit. For business or leisure, Bacolod has it.
Watch the 29th Masskara Festival Opening Ceremony speech of President Arroyo.
Photos by Tony Manso