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Thursday, August 24, 2006
Cebu business ‘model’ for RP
Senate President Manuel Villar praised Cebu’s economic performance amid the lingering political crisis in the country.
During the Sun.Star Cebu economic forum at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino yesterday, he urged Cebuanos, especially the entrepreneurs, to continue their positive business outlook and serve as a model to other provinces.
“Cebu is an example of how business can progress despite political problems. Your entrepreneurial spirit should be spread throughout the country. You (have proven) that you can do it with or without investors from the outside,” said Villar, keynote speaker of Sun.Star Cebu’s third economic forum.
Earlier, Manila-based businessmen such as Max’s Restaurant president Robert Trota and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Donald Dee said Cebu is the model of entrepreneurship in the country.
Challenges
“Cebuano companies are very good examples of Filipino entrepreneurship. The companies here are continually doing business despite political challenges,” Trota, who is also president of the Philippine Franchising Association, said.
In his speech, Villar said he would like to see the government fund more infrastructure projects on tourism and information technology in Cebu.
In a business forum organized by the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Joey Salceda, economic adviser to the President, urged the Regional Development Council to be more aggressive in sourcing out funds to finance infrastructure projects in Cebu, saying the province has the “natural capacity to diffuse funds.”
The forum, dubbed “Empowering Cebu Toward Greater Competitiveness,” was organized to answer the Cebuanos’ concern on how the macroeconomic figures presented by the government have trickled down to Cebu, Sun.Star Publishing Inc. chairman Jesus Garcia, Jr. said.
“We wanted to know how much government is investing in Cebu and how much is Cebu contributing to the national economy,” he said.
Villar said Cebu is one of the four fastest growing economies in the country, with a growth in gross domestic product (GDP) of six percent, which is higher than the country’s four-percent GDP growth.
He encouraged the province to showcase its best during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in December, saying this is the best opportunity for Cebu to show to the world its comparative advantage, such as its exports. (JBN)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (August 24, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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