digitalcitiesph roadmap

TM

ROXAS CITY
PROVINCE OF CAPIZ
A Digital Industries Guide to
Invest in Roxas City

www.digitalcitiesph.com/Roxas
 I. Executive Summary 3

II. State of the Philippine IT-BPM Industry 4

A. IT-BPM Sectors

B. Industry Growth Outlook

C. Government Support

III. The Digital Cities PH Program 9

IV. Background of the City/Province 12

V. City SWOT Analysis 28

TABLE OF
CONTENTS VI. Strategic Initiatives/Goals / Metrics 9
32
VII. Implementation Plan
34
VIII. Innovation Ecosystem
37
IX. Digital Champions
38
X. Around Roxas City
9
40
XI. Stakeholders Points
43
XII. Roxas City ICT DIrectory
44
XIII. Contacts
45
XIV. Useful Links
46
XV. Acknowledgements 47

2
digital
ROXAS
Executive Summary
The City of Roxas is the provincial capital of Capiz Province, one of the four (4) provinces
which comprise Panay Island in the Western Visayas Group. Roxas City is situated at the
Northeastern tip of the Island of Panay within the geographical coordinates of 122° 45’
longitude and 11° 35’ latitude. Its boundaries are the Visayan Sea on the North,
Municipality of Panit-an on the South, Municipality of Ivisan on the West, and
Municipality of Panay on the East. It is located 250 nautical miles southeast of Manila,
118 kilometers northeast of Iloilo City, and 86 kilometers east of Kalibo, Aklan.

The abundance of marine produce – crabs, lobsters, mussels, shells, and different
varieties of fish – has earned Roxas City the moniker Seafood Capital of the Philippines.
The City has basically an agri-based economy wherein farming and fishing are the major
economic activities. Although agricultural, the city is now moving towards
commercialization and industrialization as it is the center of trade and commerce not
only in the province of Capiz but also in the northern part of Panay Island.

Together with its people, the City of Roxas will work to accomplish without fail the
monumental task of economic resilience. As its vision goes “We envision Roxas City as
the cleanest, most livable, progressive and preferred sustainable community that
preserves its natural character and historical charm.” In line with this vision is to
establish conditions that would assure equal and fair opportunities for all to attain a
better quality of life and a just share of the bountiful resources that God has blessed this
City.

3
The State of the Philippine
IT-BPM Industry
The Philippines is a top tier destination for Information Technology –
Business Process Management (IT-BPM) services, and is counted among
the leaders in the market. In a span of four decades, the sector has achieved
significant growth and progress, in terms of expanding its share of the global
market. Today, it is the number one destination for voice-related services,
and rapidly growing its capability and potential to offer non-voice BPM and IT
services to an increasingly broader set of clients worldwide. The Philippine
IT-BPM sector has grown rapidly with a potential market revenue growth of
5.5% and headcount growth of 5.0% per annum from 2020 to 2022.

HISTORY
The Philippine IT-BPM industry started as early as the 1980s with companies
like Andersen Consulting and Innodata providing software development and
document processing services. In the next decade, multinational corporations
like Citibank and Procter & Gamble set up their back office operations in the
Philippines to support their operations in the US.

The new decade saw the entry of the major call center outsourcing
companies like Sykes and Convergys. This was the start of a massive growth
trajectory over the next ten years, with the major providers from India also
joining the fray.

The start of the millennium also saw the different subsectors growing such
that each started organizing themselves into their own organizations,
following the lead of the software subsector.

5
 The IT-BPM Subsectors
Since 2010, the Philippines has been the leading voice BPM services
provider surpassing all other markets. Today, the industry has proven its
ability to evolve by expanding to multi-tower and higher-value services that
have attracted investors and locators globally. Offering more complex and
digitally-enabled non-voice services, the Philippine IT-BPM industry has
transformed to an omnichannel delivery model and continues to provide
niche business process services to various industries.

The Philippines offers a diverse range of services to global buyers

beyond its traditional strength in voice-based services: contact center &
BPO, IT services, health information management services, animation
and game development services, and global in-house centers.

These subsectors are organized under their respective organizations:

Animation Council of the Philippines (ACPI)
Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP)
Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP)
Global In-House Center Council (GICC)
Healthcare Information Management Association of the Philippines
(HIMAP)
Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA)

All these organizations fall under the umbrella of the Information

Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines or IBPAP.

6
The Philippine Advantage

The success of the IT-BPM industry is the result of several factors:

Robust and diverse talent – the Philippines has a 95% literacy rate, with
most people able to speak in English. More than 50% of the population
is between the ages of 15 and 49. They possess good communication
skills and a high service orientation, characteristics vital to success in
the industry.

Cost competitive – the Philippines provides high quality talent at very

competitive rates.

Expanding infrastructure – the availability of IT parks has helped IT-BPM

companies expand very quickly. In addition, the Digital Cities program
(and prior to this, the Next Wave Cities program) has helped cities
outside the national capital region to develop and attract IT-BPM
locators.

Strong linkages with the government, academe and industry – through

the leadership of IBPAP, the industry has maintained a close working
relationship with its partners. The government has been supportive in
providing fiscal incentives to investors.IBPAP is working closely with the
academe to help bridge any skills gaps that may exist.

Leading in voice capabilities and growing in IT and non-voice business

processing

7
Economic Impact

The Philippine IT-BPM industry has shown tremendous gains in the last 15
years. From revenues of US$3.45B in 2006, the industry is forecasted to
contribute US$29.11B to the economy by 2022. This represents about 8% of
the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

More significantly, the industry has grown from 236,000 full time employees
in 2006 to a forecasted employment of 1.432 million in 2022.

7
Aside from its direct employment of 1.3 million (as of 2019), the industry
also generated about 4.2 million indirect jobs. The industry works 24
hours a day, 7 days a week and as such, required support industries like
transportation and food services on a full time basis. This accounts for
the additional jobs created by the industry.

The industry, in partnership with the Department of Information &

Communications Technology (DICT), is a strong advocate of providing
jobs in the countryside. The Next Wave Cities program has so far
generated 345,000 jobs outside the National Capital Region. With the
Digital Cities Program, the industry is aspiring to grow the countryside
contribution to about 30% of total employment.

Government Partnership & Support

The IT-BPM industry has been working closely with, and gaining support
given by government agencies such as:

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)

Department of Education (DepEd)
Department of Transportation (DOTr)
Department of Tourism (DOT)
Commission on Higher Education (CHEd)
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
Department of Science and Technology (DOST)
National Economic Development Authority (NEDA)
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)
Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA)

The Philippines continues to make considerable progress in the areas of

ease of doing business and country competitiveness. For the next phase of
IT-BPM, the Philippines will see joint initiatives for talent attraction and
development, country marketing, policy shaping, and inclusive growth.

9
 The Digital Cities
Program
The Department of Information and
Communications Technology (DICT), together
with the IT and Business Process Association of
the Philippines (IBPAP) and Leechiu Property
Consultants (LPC), has been advocating for
inclusive growth and development around the
Philippines through the Next Wave Cities™
program since its inception in 2009.

In 2018, with the help of the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines
(NICP), DICT and IBPAP rebranded Next Wave Cities into Digital Cities as a
response to the findings of research firm Tholons when it comes to innovation,
the startup ecosystem, and digital transformation.

The digitalcitiesPH Portal was also launched that year with the goal of providing
current and prospective locators with a comprehensive overview of the
investment landscape and offer them strategic insights on cities and
municipalities across the country.

This 2020, DICT, IBPAP, and LPC launched Digital Cities 2025 to further
highlight the value of countryside development and the capability of key locations
outside Metro Manila to become thriving business districts and viable investment
hubs for IT-BPM services. These Digital Cities will hopefully motivate existing
players to expand beyond the National Capital Region and encourage new ones
to set up shop in the Philippines.

10
The Digital Cities 2025 Scorecard

The Digital Cities scorecard is a four-point evaluation system that assesses

possible IT-BPM locations against factors that make a city attractive to investors
and locators. These four factors are: talent availability, infrastructure, cost-
effectiveness, and business environment.

The criteria used to measure talent availability include number of graduates of

higher education, senior high, and technical vocational courses within a 25-
kilometer radius of the location’s center; presence of educational institutions
deemed as Centers of Excellence (COEs) or Centers of Development (CODs);
and the location’s share in the region’s pool of professionals—an indicator of
talent density.

Considerations for infrastructure were: expanse of commercial real estate;

accessibility by air, land, and sea; capacity of the power and telecommunications
grid; number of hotels and other accommodations; presence of major shopping
malls; sufficient health facilities; and quality of road networks.

For cost-effectiveness, the scores were based on: wage, power, and rental rates.

Lastly, the following were taken into account for business environment:
availability of PEZA IT Ecozones; existence of a local ICT Council; scope of the
IT-BPM industry’s footprint; vulnerability to natural disturbances; as well as
security issues like travel advisories and crime rates.

The “ideal” Digital City, one that would score 100 percent, would require to meet
the following parameters (by importance per metric):

11
By category, the talent-related metrics make up 40% of the weighted scores,
infrastructure-related metrics 30%, cost-related metrics 10%, and business
environment 20%. The scores for each Digital City reflect how close or far it is
from the ideal scenario based on predetermined points and weights for each
metric. As much as possible, only the latest data from single, credible sources
are used to determine the score for each metric for all Digital Cities.

11
 BACKGROUND

Why Roxas City?

Roxas City and the entire province of Capiz are committed to becoming the preferred Philippine
countryside destination for digital jobs in the global online economy. We are confident in
achieving this goal with a proactive Capiz ICT Council, the strong support from all our local
government units, an increasingly digital business community, and a curated talent pipeline of
digital workers that are ready for specific jobs in various industries.

BRIEF HISTORY

The City of Roxas is the provincial capital of Capiz Province, a part of Panay Island where Miguel
Lopez de Legaspi settled when he arrived from Cebu. In 1746, Capiz was made the seat of the
Politico-Military Government although it was still ecclesiastically controlled by the bishopric of
Cebu. On May 31, 1847, a Royal Decree turned the province into an alcadia. Roxas City was
once known as the Municipality of Capiz and it became a Charted City on May 12, 1951, by virtue
of Republic Act No. 603 otherwise known as the City Charter. The late Hon. Lorenzo Arnaldo
was its first City Mayor. This city was named “Roxas City” in honor of its most illustrious son, the
first president of the Republic of the Philippines, President Manuel Acuña Roxas.

TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION AND LAND AREA DISTRIBUTION

Roxas City is divided into forty – seven (47) barangays, Thirty-One (31) barangays comprise the
urban area while Sixteen (16) barangays make up the rural area. The City of Roxas has a total
land area of 10,196 hectares or 101.96 square kilometers. This area is distributed among its 47
barangays as such: 1,783.1537 hectares or 17.831537 sq. km., urban area, and 8,416.8463
hectares or 8,412.8463 sq. km., rural area.

12
BACKGROUND
HOUSEHOLD POPULATION AND AGE GROUP DISTRIBUTION

Roxas City, Capiz has a total population of 167,003 based on the 2015 Census conducted by
the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), making it the most populous in the Province of
Capiz. About 65,675 of the total population, belongs to the school-going age group
comprising of pre-school (3-6), Elementary (7-12), Secondary (13-18), and Tertiary (19-22).
On the other hand, the total labor force (15 and over) is 117,713 and about 107,641 of it
belongs to the working age (15-64). The total dependent population is 58,569 comprising
48,497 young (0-14) and 10,072 old age population.

COMMERCE, TRADE, AND INDUSTRY

As of December 2018, the accumulative number of registered establishments under the

License Division, of the City Mayor totaled 2,629 establishments. Operating in the city are
forty (40) banks classified, as follows: One (1) universal/commercial; fourteen (14) universal;
eight (8) commercial; eight (8) rural; five (5) thrift; three (3) savings; and one (1) cooperative.
Other establishments that cater to the financing needs of the populace are forty-five (45)
lending institutions, seventeen (17) financing institutions; and forty-six (46) pawnshop/jewelry
stores.

Goods exported by the city through its national port and the port of Iloilo are mostly
agricultural and marine products like palay, rice, corn, copra, kapis shells, green mussels or
“tahong”, oyster or “talaba”, dried and fresh fish, prawns, crabs, and shrimps.

Small and medium scale industries operating in the city such as fish drying, shellcraft
business, rattan and wood furniture making, ice plants, hollow blocks manufacturing, rice
mills, the cutflower, garments industries, bolo making (blacksmithing), and commercial poultry
farms.
BACKGROUND

SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES

A City Social Development Council has been established for the city to effectively deliver
social services to its constituents through the different programs under health, education,
shelter, and social welfare.

In 2019, a total of forty-five (45) daycare centers in thirty-eight (38) barangays are being
operated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Also functioning in the city
are St. Louise de Marillac Home for the Aged and the St. Joseph de Cotolengo Orphanage
which are both privately owned and operated.

There are sixty-four (64) schools in the city, fifty-two (52) are public, twelve (12) are private.
Of these educational institutions, those that cater to the post-secondary level of education
are one (1) state university and, (1) private university, and five (5) private schools. In
addition, there are 16 TESDA Accredited Training Centers that grant NCI and NCII
certificates for employment entrepreneurship purposes. Internet facilities are also available.

Government health facilities in the city include one (1) hospital, a City Health Center, City
Birthing Clinic, thirty-nine (39) Barangay Health Stations, and 1 Chest Clinic. Privately
owned operated health facilities include four (4) hospitals, seven (7) diagnostic centers, 1
dialysis center, 4 birthing clinics, and a number of medical and dental clinics.

Roxas City is a place known for its tranquility. To this day, it still lives up to its being
peaceful. The PNP Station Command is active in its role as gatekeeper of peace and order
as well as the six (6) Community Police Assistance Center (COMPAC) situated in Baybay,
Culasi, Loctugan, Adlawan, Cagay, and Circulo Galante. For fire protection, the Roxas City
Fire Station has five (5) fire trucks, with a water capacity of 4,000 liters each and 1 tanker
15,000 liters and forty-nine (49) fire hydrants strategically located around the City.
Supplementing the services rendered by the Bureau of Fire Protection are two (2) private
volunteer organizations namely: the Capiz Citizens Action Group (CACAG) with 6 fire trucks
and the Federation of Roxas City Fire & Rescue Volunteers (FEROCITY).

There are sixty (60) accredited Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)/Non-Government

Organizations (NGOs) that actively participate in the development task of the City.
 Marugo Lake, Tapaz, Capiz
BACKGROUND
ABOUT CAPIZ

Capiz is a unique interplay of history, myths and seafoods. Interesting, though nobody is certain
of its veracity, is how Capiz got its name, one legend narrates that the name of the Province is
in honor of one of the twin granddaughters of Datu Bankaya, the leader of the district comprising
today’s Capiz and Aklan. He divided his territories into two: Kapid and Akean. The Spaniards
who later settled in the area adopted the names of Capiz and Aklan. Another legend says that it
was Datu Bangkaya’s wife who gave birth to twin daughters sometime in 1570. Twin in local
Capisnon language is “kapid”.

The significance of seafoods in the lives of early inhabitants was clearly reflected in other
versions: when the Spaniards came to Capiz they saw plenty of a certain fish. Asked as to the
name of the fish, the natives answered “lapis”. It is claimed that the conquerors heard “kapis”
and so the place was named. Most popular version is that when the Spaniards settled in Capiz,
they found in here abundance of mollusk known in the dialect as “pios” or “kapis”. The shell
called “capiz” is utilized for windows and decorative items.

In precolonial times, Panay Island was called Sinugbahan. Capiz was part of Akean (now Aklan)
and its name was Ilaya, thus its people were called Ilayahon or Ilayanon.

Capiz is a home of two Indigenous Peoples Communities, Panay Bukidnon and Ati, who had
preserved their culture by faithfully passing it on from generation to generation. Their
philosophy, values, traditions, rituals, language, games, foods, architecture, literature, music,
dance, embroidery express a unique way of life of respect and love to and interconnectedness
of the Divine, fellowman and environment.

Unmatched taste of seafoods, beautiful and clean environment, and inspiring cultural
experience are impetus combined that molded Capisnons to be highly community-development
oriented and artistically inclined. It bred great men and women in politics, academics, civic
works, arts like Manuel A. Roxas, the first president of the Republic of the Philippines; Jovita
Fuentes, National Artist for Music; and Daisy Hontiveros-Avellana, National Artist for Theater.

14
 Talent
Region 6 - WESTERN VISAYAS
ROXAS CITY
Province of Capiz

3366 4951
City Graduates of Higher Provincial Higher
Educational Institutions Educational Institutions
(HEIs) under CHED (2018) (HEIs) under CHED (2018)

20101
Provincial Enrollees of

14746
City Enrollees of Higher
Higher Educational
Educational Institutions
Institutions (HEIs) under
(HEIs) under CHED (2019)
CHED (2019)
Provincial Technical-

2795 307
Senior High School Vocational (Tech-Voc)
Graduates under DepEd Graduates under TESDA
(2018) in City (2019) with 122 within the
city

The Capiz ICT Council, with strong support from the Mayor of Roxas City and the Governor of
Capiz, and in collaboration with the regional offices of the DICT, DTI, TESDA, CHED, and DepEd
will implement the Talent Enablement and Development (TED) playbook. TED will enable the
Capiz ICT Council to be the curator of the Capiz Talents pipeline, and promote Capiz as a supplier
of digital workers.

Roxas City has colleges and universities that have college graduates yearly (data to be provided
by the Academe). However, in the past years, we have noted that there is a not so good quality of
graduates in terms of verbal and written communication specifically in the use of English
language.The need for training to improve the knowledge and skills of the graduates and other
displaced workers on IT/BPO industry related skills would help in order that we can have quality
talents/manpower to answer the need for the IT/BPO industry

14
 Talent
Number of College Graduates and Enrolees

Number of TechVoc Graduates and Enrolees

15
Major Colleges
Filamer Christian University

15
16
Filamer Christian University (FCU), founded in 1904, is adorned with multicolored centenarian history.
With a legacy of more than 100 years of Christian education, the school remains steadfast in its
commitment to provide holistic and relevant education to its clientele.

With a student population of more than 4,000, its school site is located in the 5th most livable city in
the country, in Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines, as cited by the touristspotfinders.com., with modest
cost of living, laid-back lifestyles, practically low criminality rate, and sound peace and order situation.
On more than five hectares, its main campus is situated on hilly terrain with several buildings
interconnected by steps and cemented walks. FCU continues to acquire properties such as its annex
campus, and construct new buildings. The surrounding trees provide a healthy “pollution-free”
environment. Added to it, is a 17-hectare university property to be developed into a housing project
for its faculty and staff and an eco-tourism farm located at Brgy. Dinginan, Roxas City.

Modest as it may seem, but Filamer has been granted the autonomous status last April 2016, where
most of its programs are accredited ranging from level 2 to level 4 by the Association of Christian
Schools, Colleges and Universities - Accrediting Agency Inc. (ACSCU-AAI) for quality assurance.
Presently headed by its University President Dr. 2 George O. Cortel, Filamer Christian University,
with its core values of Spirituality, Service Excellence, and Social Responsibility, and where “Quality
Education under Christian Nurture” is its way of life, envisions itself to be a globally-linked Christian
university as it initiates collaborative linkages and partnership with the national and international
organizations 17
 Major Colleges

Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion

Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion, a learning institution of the Archdiocese of Capiz, guided

by Catholic ideals and relying on the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary, envisions itself as a
center of academic excellence, through its commitment to the development of the total person,
by offering relevant and responsive academic programs.

CPC is an extension of a Catholic home, and the Catholic Church. It trains students to assume
religious, civic, and social responsibilities. By exposing them to the discipline of arts,
mathematics, and science, and by cultivating their abilities and talents, CPC fulfills its
continuing mission to the religious, civic, intellectual, and moral life of the students. In this
process, it integrates Catholic education with academic competence for needed leadership in
national development.

Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion, believes in a witnessing community of Christians who are

maka-Diyos, maka-tao, maka-bayan, and maka-kalikasan. It commits itself to an evangelizing
and liberating education for young Filipino men and women into becoming creative, decisive,
competitive, critical thinkers and active individuals who shall contribute to:

1. the attainment of political maturity, economic stability, and equitable social progress;
2. the cultivation and inculcation of moral and spiritual foundations;
3. and the realization of Filipino identity and a strong sense of national pride.

 PROGRAMS OFFERED
College of Arts and Sciences College of Engineering and Technology
AB in Communication BS in Civil Engineering
AB in English BS in Computer Engineering
AB in Political Science BS in Electrical Engineering
BS in Mathematics BS in Information Technology
BS in Psychology
College of Hospitality and Tourism Management
College of Business, Management, and
Accountancy BS in Hospitality Management
BS in Tourism Management
BS in Accountancy
BS in Accounting Information System College of Law
BS in Business Administration
Juris Doctor
College of Criminology
School of Graduate Studies
BS in Criminology
MA in Education
College of Education Master in Business Administration
Master in Public Administration
Bachelor of Elementary Education PhD in Education
Bachelor of Physical Education
Bachelor of Secondary Education
 Pueblo De Panay Technopark

Infrastructure
Major infrastructures in the City are the National Port, the Airport, the Libas Fishing Port, the
Teodoro Arcenas Trade Center (TATC), the Dinggoy Roxas Civic Center, the Hall of Justice, the
Jumbo Bridge, and the Roxas City Convention Hall. The existing road network in the City of Roxas
as of 2019 has a total road length of 153.1472 kilometers compared to 2012 which is 145.7942
kilometers. There is an increase of 7.353 kilometers for the past six (6) years based on the
approved Comprehensive Development Plan of Roxas City. There are 34.3420 kilometers of
National road, 28.8410 kilometers of City road, and 89.964 kilometers of Barangay road.

18
 Roxas City Airport

Infrastructure
Roxas City Airport is an airport serving the general area of Roxas City, the entire province of
Capiz, and Northern Iloilo in the Philippines. The airport is classified as a class 1 principal airport
by the Civil Aviation of the Philippines.

The airport has existing facilities and equipment like the Passenger Terminal Building with a total
area of 790.5 square meters. It has also a Control Tower that monitors and directs the traffic of
aircraft, a fire service station building equipped with a Crash Fire Rescue unit with five fire trucks,
Air Traffic service, Air Navigation service, Airport Civil Security, Airport Maintenance division,
Jeep, and other fighting equipment.

The airport has also Navigational Facilities like communication antennas, PAPI light, distance to-
go-markers, roving beacon light, rotating beacon, two (2) wind beacon, two (2) wind cones at both
ends of the runway, taxiway lights, runway markers, approach light, runway lights, boundary
marker,

The existing two (2) airlines that operate in the airport are The Philippine Airlines and The Cebu
Pacific Airlines that provide daily flights bound to Manila regularly and cater to passengers and
cargoes in Roxas City. The Boeing 737 aircraft used for Philippine airlines with a capacity of 148
passengers and 5 tons more or less capacity for cargoes while the Cebu Pacific Airlines used for
the aircraft DC – 9 with a maximum capacity of 115 passengers and 5 tons more or less capacity
for cargoes.

18
 Infrastructure
Communication facilities in Roxas City are catered by the Philippine Long Distance and Telephone
Company (PLDT), Globelines, and cellular phone companies: Smart and Globe. Internet services
are also available like PLDT My DSL, PLDT Vibe, Globe Broadband, and Smart Bro. Broadcast
media is catered by five (5) radio stations namely: Radio Mindanao Network Inc. - DYVR, People’s
Broadcasting Services, Inc., Broadreach Broadcasting Corp., Manila Broadcasting Company, and
Todo Media Services. There are two (2) cable television stations operating in the City. The
Wesfardell Cable Services and the Filvision, Inc. (Altocable) wherein more than 3,000 subscribers
and their families are being served.
 Circulo Convention Center

Business Environment

Capiz ICT Council,

The Capiz ICT Council, in partnership with Pueblo de Panay, and in collaboration with the regional
offices of the DTI, DICT, and DOST will utilize the provisions of the Innovative Startup Act (RA
11337) to develop the local startup ecosystem.

The Capiz ICT Council, in partnership with the local offices of DTI and TESDA will provide digital
business skills training and enablement to MSMEs to increase their digital maturity.

The Capiz ICT Council, in partnership with Pueblo de Panay and the LGU's, will design and
implement marketing programs to promote Capiz as a preferred destination for digital jobs.

One of the major strengths in Roxas City is the PEZA accredited site in Pueblo de Panay.
The assertive plans and strategies of pueblo de panay are paving the way for more industries in
Roxas City and the whole province of Capiz.

It is also noteworthy that Roxas City has been identified as one of the 2025 Digital Cities.
To address the threat of slow or not so fast processing of business permits, the LGU with Capiz
ICT Council and Pueblo de Panay has to come up with a strategy to ease business permit
processing for investors.

20
 Suhot Cave and Spring, Dumalag, Capiz

Cost of Doing Business

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labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco
laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in
voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.

22
SWOT Analysis: TALENT
Strenghts Weaknesses
Large number of College (5,522), Senior High School Lack of Digital Skills and low English language
(3,039), and TESDA (5,951) graduates proficiency and confidence in the Capiz Talents
Availability and Quality of Public and Private Schools pipeline.
Presence of talents who worked in BPOs in other provinces Lack of visibility on the intentions, qualifications, and
Presence of displaced workers from other industries who skill levels of the talents in the pipeline.
may be trained on IT/BPO related trainings. Lack of career guidance and guided learning
1 “major” BPO City (ePerformax) that can be a reference pathways for targeted digital jobs.
for skills requirements. Lack of applicable digital skills training at the Senior
1425 Trainable and Skilled Teaching and Non-Teaching High School and College levels for digital jobs.
Personnel (April 20, 2021) No TESDA training center providing applicable digital
Almost 10,000 Grade 11 and 12 Graduates / Enrollees this skills training.
year Internet Connectivity: 40 out of 50 Schools have
Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELC - Standard) internet (Mobile Data/DSL/Fibr) Prepaid or Postpaid
& Learning Continuity Plan (Need-based) Computerization Program: provide the technology
Need-based Programs, Projects and Activities in different needed in this technology driven time for School,
level of Governance (Central Office, Regional Office, Teaching and Non-Teaching Personnel and Learners
Division Office and School) that is reflected in the Division Capability Building Program/s to match the Industry
Education Development Plan (DEDP), Annual needs (Subjective, Industry and Learner dependent)
Implementation Plan (AIP), School Implementation Plan Database of Learners after Graduating from DepEd
(SIP), Division Monitoring, Evaluation and Adjustment (Career Status)
(DMEA) Accomplishment Reports
CSC PRIME-HRM Maturity Level II Bronze Awardee
Provision of Inclusive and Holistic Education
Provision of equal employment opportunity

Opportunities Threats
The Pandemic has increased demand for digital workers
Schools in other cities getting Capiz Talents.
globally.
Competition from Iloilo and Bacolod attracting Capiz
Curate the Capiz Talents pipeline to gain visibility on the
Talents.
intentions, qualifications, and skill levels at a very
BPOs in other cities offering more attractive
granular level.
compensation packages.
Career guidance and learning pathways to prepare
Limited Facilities or Establishment that provides
Capiz Talents for targeted digital jobs.
FREE Industry-Based Capability Building Programs
Academe-industry alignment.
(There are limited slot scholarships offered)
Provision of Technology and Capability Programs that
Limited Immersion Sites for Junior and Senior High
could meet the Industry needs
School Learners
Provision of FREE WiFi para sa Barangay for learners
No Security of tenure in private companies (local and
that cannot afford subscription (Learning Resources,
offshore)
Research, Online Learning and Development Activities,
Limited Funding for Start-Up Companies and
Meetings and more).
environment to promote growth in terms of research,
Provision of access to School or University Portals via
development and innovation
mobile network
Facilities or Establishment that provides FREE Industry-
Based Capability Building Programs (There are limited
slot scholarships offered)
Additional Immersion Sites for Junior and Senior High
School Learners
Funding for Start-Up Companies and environment to
promote growth in terms of research, development and
innovation
23
SWOT Analysis: BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
Strenghts Weaknesses

Capiz ICT Council. Lack of One-Stop Shop Business

PEZA park (Pueblo de Panay) Registration.
Low crime rate Capiz ICT Council is not properly staffed.
Accessible nationally and internationally. Local business community has a low level
Low cost of doing business. of digital maturity.
Strong support from LGU's and NGA’s. Lack of a digital startup ecosystem.
Abundant recreational areas. Lack of unified and cohesive marketing
Wide availability of stable internet programs to promote Capiz as a preferred
connections. destination for digital jobs.

Opportunities Threats

One-Stop Shop Business Registration. Natural disasters.

Fully staff the Capiz ICT Council. Slow pace of getting things done, due to
Position Pueblo de Panay (PdP) as the the “agricultural” mindset. We are used to
Digital Business Center and preferred running a FARM, not a FACTORY.
PEZA Technology Park in Western
Visayas.
Develop & promote PdP as ground zero
for the region's digital startup ecosystem
and as the hub for Digital Skills training.
Market & Promote the Capiz Talents
pipeline as a preferred destination for
digital jobs.

24
SWOT Analysis: INFRASTRUCTURE

Strenghts Weaknesses

Redundant utilities infrastructure Need more flights and destinations

PEZA accredited IT Park/Bldg Shortage of PEZA leasable space
Accessible Roads, airport, seaport
3 Fiber Optic lines (globe, PLDT,
Converge)

Opportunities Threats

Additional flights to Manila, add Cebu

Additional IT-BPM Companies to locate
To build more PEZA Buildings

25
 Sadsad at the Capiztahan Festival

SWOT Analysis: COST OF DOING BUSINESS

Strenghts Weaknesses

Lower cost of labor (Php. 310.00 - 395.00)

Lower cost of utilities
Lower lease rates (P450.00 per Sq. m)

Threats Opportunities

Discounted utility rates

26
Strategic Initiatives: TALENT
STRATEGY GOAL

Centralized database (Real time data) 2025 - 13,000 IT-BPM Full Time
On-going assessment to qualify the Employees
numbers
Conduct seminars, symposia,
workshops
Conduct a skills gap assessment on
current locators on the skills
Work with academe and NGAs (DTI,
TESDA) to identify skills dev programs
that can be provided to the students
(behavioral modification)
Explore scholarship programs from
LGUs, (City and province)
The Pandemic has increased demand
for digital workers globally.
Curate the Capiz Talents pipeline to
gain visibility on the intentions,
qualifications, and skill levels at a very
granular level.
Career guidance and learning
pathways to prepare Capiz Talents for
targeted digital jobs.
Academe-industry alignment.
TESDA-funded training programs to
provide academic intervention.

27
Strategic Initiatives:
BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
STRATEGY GOAL

One-Stop Shop Business To improve the business

Registration environment of Capiz and Roxas
City for ICT-enabled jobs and
Fully staff the Capiz ICT Council opportunities

Position Pueblo de Panay (PdP) as

the Digital Business Center and
preferred PEZA Technology Park
in Western Visayas

Develop & promote PdP as ground

zero for the region's digital startup
ecosystem and as the hub for
Digital Skills training

Market and promote the Capiz

Talents pipeline as a preferred
destination for digital jobs

28
 Implementation
Plan: Talent
Sadsad at the Capiztahan Festival

Current State Action Item Owner Timeline

Presence of IT-BPM
companies in Roxas Deploy and maintain the Capiz ICT Council Q1 2022
City - 2,000 FTEs CapizTalents portal Mayor of Roxas City
(contact center, IT A central database of the Governor of Capiz
enabled services, talent pipeline for the Capiz CHED
and medical related province of Capiz Capid DepEd
services) containing the intentions, Capiz TESDA
qualifications, and skill Capiz PESO
levels of each aspirant and Capiz DOLE
talent. Capiz Schools

Curate the Capiz Talents Capiz ICT Council Q2 2022

pipeline iBPAP
Identify the digital jobs to Capiz DICT
target, determine the Capiz DTI
required training Capiz TESDA
interventions, and recruit
qualified training providers.

Promote Digital Learning Capiz ICT Council Q1 2022

Pathways Capiz CHED Q2 2022
Conduct seminars and Capid DepEd
assessments for high Q1 2023
school and college Q2 2023
students.

32
 Implementation Plan:
Talent

Current State Action Item Owner Timeline

IT-BPM companies Establish Digital Skills Capiz ICT Council Q2 2022

in Roxas City - 2,000 Training Centers (2) Pueblo de Panay
(contact center, IT Setup TESDA accredited Capiz TESDA
enabled services, training and assessment Mayor of Roxas City
and medical related centers for [1] Roxas City Governor of Capiz
services) and the [2] Capiz Province.

Implement Training Capiz ICT Council Q3 2022

Interventions Mayor of Roxas City Q4 2022
Inject digital skills training Governor of Capiz Q1 2023
into the SHS and College Capiz CHED Q2 2023
courses, and conduct Capid DepEd
vocational courses for non- Capiz TESDA
students in the talent Capiz Schools
pipeline.

33
 Implementation Plan:
Business Environment

Current State Action Item Owner Timeline

Establish One-stop Capiz ICT Council Q4 2022
Business Registration Capiz PCCI
process Capiz DTI
This is one physical or Mayor of Roxas City
virtual location to conduct
all transactions.

Establish a local Digital Capiz ICT Council Q1 2023

Startup Ecosystem Pueblo de Panay Q2 2023
This is in synch with the Capiz PCCI
RA 11337, Innovative Capiz DTI
Startup Act”

Increase Digital Maturity Capiz ICT Council Q2 2022

of the Capiz business Pueblo de Panay Q3 2022
community Capiz PCCI Q4 2022
Conduct digital skills Capiz DTI Q1 2023
training, provide business Capiz PESO Q2 2023
technology coaches, and
monitor the digital maturity
rating of DTI-assisted
MSME’s.

Promote the Capiz Capiz ICT Council Q1 2023

Talents pipeline Pueblo de Panay Q2 2023
Conduct a marketing iBPAP
campaign to promote the Capiz DTI
Capiz Talents pipeline as a Capiz DICT
source of talent for digital
jobs.

Promote Pueblo de Capiz ICT Council Q1 2023

Panay Pueblo de Panay Q2 2023
Conduct a marketing iBPAP
campaign to promote Capiz DTI
Pueblo de Panay as Capiz DICT
ground-zero of the regional
startup ecosystem and as
a hub for digital skills
training.

34
Innovation
Ecosystem
LEARN ABOUT ROXAS
CITY'S INNOVATIVE
PROGRAMS

37
Roxas City ICT Champions

HON. RONNIE DADIVAS

City Mayor, Roxas City

Mayor Ronnie Dadivas started his

service to the Roxas City Government in
1997 as the Sangguniang Panlungsod
secretary. He was elected as City
Councilor in 2004, and ran and won as
Vice Mayor in the 2007, 2010 and 2013
elections. In 2016, he was appointed as a
member of the Board of Directors of the
Philippine Health Insurance Corporation
(PHIC). Before being elected as the 12th
Mayor of the City of Roxas in 2019, he
served as Consultant, Legal Officer, as
well as Gender and Development Focal
Point Person of the Capiz provincial
government.

His first term as the Mayor of Roxas City did not come without challenges, but he faced these
challenges and focused on serving his people with his hands-on governance style. To
address the Covid-19 pandemic, he established the UPOD (Unified Pandemic Operational
Deployment) Program which is hinged on proactivity, prevention of infection, impact
mitigation, rehabilitation, and recovery.

In order to help mitigate the number of infections, he pooled the city’s funds for the
construction of its own RT-PCR Laboratory, isolation facilities for both mild and moderate
cases, as well as invested in the purchase of vaccines. Due to his foresight, Roxas City was
able to keep the balance between keeping the number of cases relatively low and pushing for
the revitalization of the local economy.

Mayor Dadivas is a staunch supporter of the ICT industry in Roxas City. Under his leadership,
the city launched a QR Code Contact Tracing System, the City Health E-Konsulta Program,
and the Interactive Heritage Zone Computerized Lighting System. He also partnered with the
Capiz Innovation Center, a local fabrication laboratory, to design and provide locally-made UV
sterilizing units for the City Hall.

38
Roxas City ICT Champions

JOEY GURANGO JOSE NERY ONG

Co-Founder, Servio CEO, Pueblo de Panay
Chairman, Capiz-ICTC
Joey Gurango is the chairman of the Capiz ICT Jose Nery “Bub” Ong is the Founder, President, and
Council and co-founder of SERVIO, a technology CEO of Pueblo de Panay, Inc., owner and developer
startup located in Pueblo de Panay Township, of the largest township in Central Philippines, 670-
Roxas City. hectare mixed-use Pueblo de Panay Township in
Roxas City, Capiz.
He started his IT career at Apple Computer, as a
support engineer for the Lisa computer, then at He is also the Founder, President, and CEO of
Microsoft, as a programmer for Excel. He moved Sacred Heart of Jesus Development Corp., a home-
back to the Philippines in 1991 to start Match Data grown real estate company that has sold more than
Systems, which he sold to Great Plains Software 8,000 residential units to date, including around
in 1999, then was acquired by Microsoft in 2001. 2,000 socialized housing lots for marginalized
constituents in Capiz, Aklan, and the neighboring
Joey has been inducted into the Microsoft Hall of provinces of Northern Panay Island.
Fame for its Most Valuable Professionals and
acknowledged by the Philippine Center for Under his leadership as Founding President of the
Entrepreneurship as one of the country’s Ten Capiz ICT Council, a large-scale IT-BPM company
Most Inspiring Technopreneurs. In 2017, IBPAP was brought in as the first major ICT investment in
recognized him as an Industry Luminary with their Northern Panay Island, locating in the 7-hectare,
Azure Flare Award. PEZA-accredited Pueblo de Panay TechnoPark. By
engaging the different stakeholders of their local
Joey is the Chief Evangelist for the Technology community, Roxas City was declared an “Emerging
Ecosystem Development initiative, or TED for Location for IT-BPM Investments” in 2016 and one
short. The TED initiative creates self-contained of the Philippines’ “25 Digital Cities” in 2020.
technology startup ecosystems within aspiring
digital cities in the countryside that is curated by His work to provide shelter and jobs to his
the NICP, SERVIO, and Coders Guild. Joey is community earned him the Distinguished Alumni
currently working with ICT Councils all over the Award for Business and Countryside Development
Philippines to launch the TED initiative for their from the University of the Philippines Alumni
cities in 2021. Association (UPAA), awarded in UP Diliman,
Quezon City in 2017.

38
 AROUND
Roxas City

Capiz Ecology Park and Cultural Village,

Cuartero, Capiz

ePerformax @Pueblo De Panay

40
AROUND
Roxas City

Mabaay Island, Ivisan, Capiz

Seafood in Capiz

39
AROUND
Roxas City

Santo Tomas De
Villanova, Dao, Capiz

Agtalin Shrine, Pilar, Capiz

Santa Monica Church

Saint Martin De Tours,

Dumalag, Capiz

Basiao Beach, Ivisan, Capiz

41
Stakeholders Speak:

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amet, consectetur elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et
adipiscing elit, sed do dolore magna aliqua.
eiusmod tempor
incididunt ut labore et
dolore magna aliqua.

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amet, consectetur
adipiscing elit, sed do
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incididunt ut labore et
dolore magna aliqua.

Baybay Beach

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adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt amet, consectetur
ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. adipiscing elit, sed do
eiusmod tempor
incididunt ut labore et
dolore magna aliqua.

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amet, consectetur
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adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor eiusmod tempor
incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. incididunt ut labore et
dolore magna aliqua.

42
 Roxas City ICT
Stakeholders Directory
List of Schools, Companies, Utilities

39
 Social media channels

Contacts Us
In Roxas City
List of Point of Contacts in
Roxas City

44
Useful Links and Sites:
https://www.facebook.com/CapizICTCouncil
http://roxascity.gov.ph/
http://www.capiz.gov.ph/
https://dict.gov.ph/
https://www.facebook.com/DICTWVRO

45
 Acknowledgments

Hinulugan Falls, Tabun-acan, Pilar, Capiz

Hinulugan Falls, Tabun-acan, Pilar, Capiz

46