ILOILO CITY (PNA) — Investors, encouraged by the soon-to-be completed first coal-fired power plant here, are starting to take a second look at the business potentials of this southern city.

Mayor Jerry P. Treñas assured investors and business locators that the influx of businesses here will be met and augmented by a pool of highly-qualified and dynamic workers, mostly college graduates.

Iloilo City is considered the regional educational center of Western Visayas, producing over 17,000 college graduates every year.

Treñas admitted that business locators have been stymied by the power shortage here.

But, he said, such obstacle is currently being hurdled and answered by the private sector, particularly power generators Panay Power Corp and its subsidiary partner, Global Business Power Corporation, which owns the 184-megawatt coal fired plant located at Barangay Ingore, in La Paz, Iloilo City which is set to operate before the end of 2010.

The ensuing electric power boom is expected to galvanize more call centers to come to Iloilo, including other local businesses and multinational investments, the City’s chief executive said.

Meanwhile, a boom in call center operations is happening in this city, with the latest entry of Hinduja Global Solutions under the India-based Hinduja Group.

The Hinduja call center, which has been operating in the Philippines for over 20 years, has opted to put up a branch in Iloilo City by targeting more than 1,500 employees before the end of this year.

Treñas said over 4,000 city graduates are currently employed in call centers here, notably by ePLDT-Ventus, TeleTech, Transcom, Call Box and other call center firms.

Treñas is also enthusiastic about Ayala Corporation’s construction of a P350-million business center here that will include an internet technology (IT) park along the Smallville-Boardwalk area in the Mandurriao district.

The Ayala investment follows that of Megaworld Corporation’s plan to build a mega-business complex that includes an IT Park within its 23-hectare property in the old Iloilo airport area in Mandurriao.

Another site of for an IT Park will be the soon-to-be-finished Pazuela Business Center owned by Ilonggo magnate Rogelio Florete Sr. along the Iloilo City Diversion Road.