Antonio "Tonyboy" Veneracion, president of the General Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, received the award on October 20 during the Philippine Business Conference in Metro Manila.
Veneracion said his group was chosen on the basis of services extended to the members, community involvement, and networking with government agencies.
The award came at the heels of a controversy caused by the bolting out of the Davao City business chamber from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).
Romeo Serra, chairman of the Mindanao Business Council and who resigned as PCCI vice president for Mindanao, last week said the Davao chamber disaffiliation from PCCI "will have a snowballing effect" in the island.
Serra claimed that 16 other business chambers in Mindanao are "poised to follow the lead" of the Davao chamber.
Asked about the controversy, Veneracion immediately denied his group would follow suit.
"We have no plans to bolt PCCI. There's no discussion among the members to that effect," he said last week.
The local chamber here counts among its members, tuna processors and others engaged in the fishing industry.
This city hosts six of the country's eight tuna canneries and dozens of smaller tuna processors.
For Bisaya stories from General Santos.Click here.
(This section is updated every Monday)
(October 30, 2006 issue) Write letter to the editor.Click here. Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here.
