GUIGUINTO, Bulacan-Thousands of young Bulakenyos are expected to get high quality information technology training starting April with the inauguration of the Korea-Philippines Information Technology Training Center (KPITTC) at the Technical Education Skills development Authority (TESDA) regional compound here on Tuesday February 21.

Attended by high officials from the South Korean embassy in Manila, and local government units in the province, the inauguration was seen another step towards the fulfillment of Bulacan's dream to become the "IT center of the country."

"This building is not just for Bulacan but for the rest of North Luzon," Governor Josie dela Cruz said noting that farmers and cooperatives would be trained to utilize computers in trading their products.

She also said the challenge to them now is that the building will not go to waste but would be used to trained IT professionals as well.

Ambassador Hong Jong-ki on the other hand said that establishment of the KPITTC is a testimonial to the ever deepening ties and friendship between South Korea and the Philippines.

"This is designed and planned to train more Filipinos be cause we want to be come your partner in winning the war against poverty," the ambassador said.

Tesda Deputy Director General Santiago Yabut said that the newly inaugurated IT training center was actually a part of the $10-M grant-aid of the South Korean government to the Philippines through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

He said that $5-M of the total grant went to the establishment of a similar training center in Davao City that caters to fishermen and farmers, while the $4.3-M was used for the establishment of the training center's main facility at the Quezon City Polytechnic University (QCPU) located at Novaliches, and the remaining $700,000 was used in Bulacan.

The Korean grant aid program in Bulacan includes the construction of the IT facility, provision of equipment including hardware. The center will cater to some 200 students at a given period of time.

It has three computer laboratories, two computer rooms, a conference room, and is equipped with 99 personal computers, one laptop computer and network facilities.

In his opening remarks, Mayor Ambrosio Cruz of this town said that young Bulakenyos that will benefit from the IT Center will have a chance to get a high paying jobs both here and abroad.

He noted that through the efforts of the late Bulakenyo statesman Blas F. Ople, millions of Filipinos were able to work abroad after he penned the country's labor code.

Cruz said that the Korean ambassador told him before the ceremonies that Filipinos have made their mark in the Korean IT market.

Meanwhile, former Labor Undersecretary Susan V. Ople, the daughter of the late Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople, delivered a passionate speech before the inauguration saying it is a fulfillment of a promise.

"Today, marks the fulfillment of a promise," the young Ople said adding, "A promise made by a daughter to the father, a hero to his promise, of a foreign ally to a staunch and loyal friend."

She explained that the KPITTC was one of the projects she and her father worked on before he passed away.

"He was the first to spot the potential of asking South Korea, a country he greatly admired, to help the province of Bulacan become the IT gateway of Central Luzon," The young Ople said adding that she was instructed by his father to convince concerned government agencies to include Bulacan in the Korean IT project in the Philippines.

"Today, my promised to him has been fulfilled," she said noting that she pleaded and cajoled officials for the inclusion of Bulacan in the project.