CHARGE' AND PRESIDENT ARROYO INAUGURATE U.S. CALL CENTER;

UNCLAS MANILA 003414 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/EX AND EAP/MTS STATE PASS USAID STATE PASS PEACE CORPS USDOC FOR 4430/ITA/MAC/ SBERLINGUETTE USDOC PASS TO USPTO FOR PETER FOWLER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD EINV EAID EAIR SOCI RP SUBJECT: CHARGE' AND PRESIDENT ARROYO INAUGURATE U.S. CALL CENTER; OUTREACH TO CENTRAL LUZON -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. Charge' d'Affaires Paul W. Jones traveled to Pampanga in Central Luzon to join President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in cutting the ribbon for a new U.S. call center in the Clark Special Economic Zone. While in the area, Charge' also visited the Clark Air Base Cemetery and Asian Aerospace Corporation, a Lockheed Martin affiliate, where the CDA also taped a television interview with a local cable station. End Summary. ¶2. New York-based IntelliRisk Management Corporation (IRMC) opened its second call center in the Philippines on August 10, 2006. President Arroyo and CDA Jones jointly cut the ribbon on this 600-seat call center in Clark Special Economic Zone, which can expand up to 1,200 workers in the future. IRMC President and CEO Vikas Kapoor commented that this call center will eventually create 1,000 counterpart jobs in the United States to handle more complex collection accounts. Of 6,000 IRMC employees worldwide, 4,000 jobs are located in Buffalo, New York, Columbus, Ohio and Charleston, South Carolina. ¶3. Following the inauguration, CDA and Embassy officers continued to the Clark Air Base Cemetery, where 2,110 American veterans are buried, together with 6,375 Filipinos and other nationals. Veterans from VFW Post 2485 recounted the history of the cemetery, which was established in 1947 to honor veterans and dependents from eight countries involved in conflicts ranging from the Spanish-American War through the Vietnam conflict. ¶4. The Embassy group visited the Asian Aerospace Corporation (AAC), which has created an in-country maintenance capability for C-130s and P-3 aircraft in partnership with Lockheed Martin. Boeing, Bell Helicopter, DERCO, and Rolls-RoyceUSA are other affiliates. The 10-year-old compay is charged with refurbishing the Philippine prsidential helicopter fleet and has also won subconracts under FMF through Lockheed to refurbish C-130s for the Armed Forces of the Philippines. (Noe: On April 28, Ambassador Kenney turned over toPresident Arroyo a C-130 refurbished by AAC. End ote.) ¶5. Television personality Sonny Lopez inerviewed the CDA for his daily public affairs show "Action Central Luzon Special Edition". The CDAemphasized USG commitment to the Central Luzon are through economic development, health, and educaion. He highlighted American business commitmen to the region, citing the firms visited that dayplus the many other U.S. companies with operationsin Clark and Subic economic zones. He discussedUSAID programs on HIV/Aids prevention, child heath care, and midwife training. He emphasized th active Peace Corps' involvement in teacher trainin and education. ¶6. Comment: This trip was on of a series demonstrating the USG's outreach toall provinces in the Philippines, in support of U.. business programs of many USG agencies and ourshared history and values JONES