Cablegate: Charge' and President Arroyo Inaugurate U.S. Call Center;

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O 150854Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2495
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UNCLAS MANILA 003414

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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

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SUMMARY
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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

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