Cebu ready for ICT

The image of Cebu as a glittering tourism area remains in one’s sensibilities: white beaches fringed with palm, seafood, great-looking hotels, pretty handicrafts, and, best of all, friendly people. From June 22 to 24, an international conference will yet make the province an attractive investment center.

The conference, dubbed "Cebu ICT 2005: Asia’s Emerging Role as a Global Center for IT & IT-Enabled Services," will be held at the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug, Cebu City. It is being organized by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Board of Investments.

President Macapagal-Arroyo will keynote the conference. For sure people will be craning their necks to hear what she has to say not only on the subject of information and communications technology but also on the fizzled attempts to destabilize her govern-ment. As in the past, the President is skilled at parrying destabilizers, and her reactions to the current seeming efforts to oust her show that she is determined to steer the country clear of troublemakers. This is evident in the Time Magazine cover story last week where she told editor Anthony Speath, she believes in legislation, the transforming ability of government, and the power of leadership – her leadership. "I am the agent of change. I wish to be remembered as the one who made the tough decisions to turn the economy around, to get its act together . . . Maybe that’s why the Lord put me here at this time."

Other speakers at the conference will be Trade and Industry Secretary Juan Santos, Sen. Manuel A. Roxas II, chair of the committees on economic affairs and commerce, ICT Chair Virgilio Pena and CICT Commissioner Damien Mapa, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, and Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena.

An important panel discussion will be on venture capital financing which will take place on the second day of the conference. Narra Venture Capital managing partner Francisco Sandejas will keynote this activity.

Bonifacio Belen, Cebu ICT 2005 chair, says that wherever there are serious efforts to foster the development of IT and IT-enabled services, venture capital financing is a principal concern. "This is because startups do not have access to traditional sources of funding. The availability of venture capital can therefore dramatically accelerate the development of technology hubs. Cebu ICT 2005 will provide an excellent opportunity to increase awareness of the role of venture capital funding for local startups, and to disseminate information on leveraging these resources."

Sandejas was a member of the IT E-commerce Council (ITECC), precursor of the Commission on Information Communication & Technology, and he continues to work with the Philippine govern-ment as a consultant with the goal of fostering entrepreneurship in technology sectors.

The venture capital panel will be chaired by Epixtar Corp. chair and CEO Ilene Kaminsky, previously managing director in Cisco Systems’ Internet Business Solutions Group. Epixtar is one of the largest providers of call center services in the Philippines.

Other members of the panel are Vipul Bhagat, International Finance Corp. country manager in the Philippines; Joey Gurango, Webworks OS founder and chief executive, and Eduardo Martin Licahuyco, Walden International Philippine country manager who advises clients on offshore opportunites and provides venture financing to firms in the ICT and ITES industries.

Quite happy about the choice of her province as site of the conference, Governor Garcia says her province’s ICT infrastructure, location, and human resources are the principal factors that provide the province a competitive edge in the race for ICT and IT-enabled services (ITES) investment.

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Providing a relief from the stories on jueteng and wiretapping was the acquittal of megastar Michael Jackson. Each and everyone of the jury thought that while there were questions regarding his behavior, no solid evidence was presented by the prosecution to prove that he was guilty on 10 counts of child molestation. Lawyers, members of the jury, fans and critics were interviewed on television, and the comments varied. One said "money talks," but it wasn’t clear if he meant that a lot of money was spent on freeing the star of the charges. A commentator said Michael would have to change his lifestyle – i.e. he should not sleep in the same bed with young boys. Another said that he would have to sell some real estate property worth millions and millions to pay for lawyers’ fees and other expenses.

But after weeks of reading about the case, we feel relieved that the verdict has been passed. Indeed, Michael Jackson is a 21st century legend, and what he does with his life now is something people will be watching out for.

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Two weeks ago, I took my sister Joy Claverdon, who lives in Australia, and my favorite nephew PonPon, who lives with me in Pasig, to Sonya’s Garden, that fantastic paradisical restaurant in Tagaytay. A number of ritzy eating places have sprouted in the city, but Sonya’s Garden remains the mecca for diners who bring visitors from abroad and the provinces for "something different."

The difference is the "ambience" provided by a fabulous garden of flowering plants scattered about the grounds and creeping on vines and trees. One can’t help feeling romantic in such surroundings, and most every woman goes home believing she can raise her own flowers. Why not? But they have to have the magical touch of Sonya Garcia, who personally tends to her plants day after day. Sonya knows the name of every single flower and plant in her garden – and there are about a thousand different varieties! And she loves showing them off to friends and guests, with her wearing gossamer Indian or Nepalese attire and carrying a parasol.

The menu is simple and always the same: salad greens and condiments and pasta (with chicken chunks or tomato sauce), and Sonya’s Secret Sexy Sauce, and a desert of camote and saba banana cooked in syrup. All the greens served come from Sonya’s many greenhouses and grown organically.

The table linen is starched and embroidered, and the china is from Europe. Sonya’s love of Europe sparkles bright and clear in her choice of linen and china; she once lived in Europe for many years, and although she did not know she would go into the restaurant business someday, her preference for fine things had sank deep into her consciousness.

Now Sonya’s Garden has branched out into Bed and Breakfast business. People can spend the night and have a fabulous breakfast of tocino and sinangag and bread and jams and herbal teas and coffee etc. (at P2,500 per head) in any of the nine wooden cottages which Sonya designed herself. The cottages are pretty as pictures, the linen smelling nice, starched and embroidered, and all around the cottages are flowers and flowering trees.

If you like the linen and secret sexy sauce and apparel similar to what Sonya wears, you can buy them at the country store, where delightful things, including Nepal-style wooden cupboards carved by local artisans, and copies of master painters, are available.

Sonya’s Garden is a delight, and so is Sonya Garcia.

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