CCCI announces new president

A BUSINESSMAN involved in water treatment chemicals and equipment is the new president of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).

Lito Maderazo, president and chief executive officer of Mactan Rock Industries Inc., was elected president of CCCI last Feb. 28, a week after nine new trustees were chosen to join the board.

Maderazo replaced Prudencio Gesta after taking his oath right after the elections.

His goal this year is to make sure CCCI members take an active role in all their activities.

He said he is especially excited to host this month’s Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) conference and the Cebu Business Month in June, as the chamber will be celebrating its 110th anniversary. He believes the CACCI will bring in more opportunities for Cebu, as delegates from different countries and provinces are expected to converge and see Cebu as an investment destination.

Track record

He said he will only serve one year as president as his term as a board trustee will expire next year.

Having been a member for about 15 years, Maderazo once chaired the Cebu Business Month celebration during the term of Jose Ng as president.

He has been in business for about 30 years, dabbling in water, solid waste management, pollution abatement and industrial hydro among others.

He founded Mactan Rock Industries, Inc. in 1983, starting out as an industrial chemical manufacturer, specializing in water treatment chemicals and industrial preventive maintenance chemicals.

According to a profile from the CCCI website, the company began trading in water softeners, demineralizers and ion exchange resins, diversifying its product offerings over the years to meet the growing market demand for water treatment chemicals and equipment.

The company has since expanded with over 30 desalination and waste water treatment across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Continuity

Maderazo assured members he will maintain a sense of continuity in his leadership, confident that many of the current trustees are incumbent members of the board.

In a statement, the CCCI also announced that Bonifacio Sia of Cebu Bionic Builders Supply Inc. was elected vice president for finance and administration while Antonio Chiu was elected vice president for external affairs and relations.

Mario Panganiban was voted vice president for business development while Melanie Ng was elected vice president for membership development. Elected treasurer was Joelix Ng while Mary Anne Alcordo-Solomon was elected board secretary. Felix Taguiam was appointed assistant treasurer while Lilu Aliño was appointed assistant secretary.

Immediate past president Prudencio Gesta, the statement said, is optimistic the new leadership will continue CCCI’s mission of enhancing trade development end economic advocacy to benefit Cebu’s business community.

Interviewed before the board of trustees was elected, Gesta said his stint as president would not have been as easy without the support of local government units.

He admitted some members have been affected by the global economic crisis and have been forced to quit their membership, but said the almost 700 members they have is still a good number.

The new trustees came from the trade, industry, services sector. Sia, Aljim Jamandre of Vicsal Development Corp. and Regan Rex King of Jolly Traders International were named trustees under the trade sector.

Under the industry sector, Apolinar Suarez of A. Suarez Sterling Corp. and Joelix Nh of HMC Industries were named trustees while Mario Panganiban of Cebu Advent Development Corp., Antonio Castro of Platinum Holdings Inc. and Herminia ago of AON Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers Phils. were elected trustees for the service sector.

Elected sectoral trustee was Mary Anne Alcordo-Solomon of the Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines-Cebu Chapter.