The provincial government here is looking at developing growth areas in the province to serve as investment centers for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and similar industries that will attract investors for service industries and commercial establishments.

“We are trying to develop some areas already. It can be any municipality since every municipality has a zoning,” said Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr., in a media interview on Friday.

He said the province has human resources and areas that can be utilized for the purpose.

Some developers they have talked to are looking for a lot to purchase.

The governor added that the province is positioning for an investment forum probably early next year to link investors with local businessmen or property owners.

Iloilo Federation for Information Technology (I-FIT) executive director Joeven Tansi, in a previous interview, said there are a lot of locators that are interested to invest in Iloilo.

He said the province is looking at the development of areas from Sta. Barbara going to the Iloilo International Airport in the town of Cabatuan for a service industry.

There is also a business process outsourcing firm operating in the municipality of Pavia, which is situated adjacent to Iloilo City.

In November, the town of Bingawan also started the operation of its non-voiced firm on real estate with clients from the United States.

Aside from the ICT, Defensor added that the provincial government is also looking at maximizing agricultural production that in the process will create a value that could generate employment and business for agri-tourism.

In the proposed capital outlay for the 2023 budget, he said the province has allocated PHP50 million for the farm-to-market road (FMR) and PHP30 million for small-scale irrigation projects.

“We are very focused on the direction that we want. We want to create a strong middle class, capacitated middle class coming from the agriculture sector, coming from the MSMEs (micro, small and medium entrepreneurs). We want families to have the capacity to spend for the basic necessities and leisure,” he added. (PNA)