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Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Infras in C. Luzon to pave way for small businesses: trader
By Albert B. Lacanlale
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Business leader Rene G. Romero on Tuesday predicted the upsurge of small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) in the region once major infrastructure projects in Central Luzon are completed.
Romero, who had been tagged as "Mr. SME of North Luzon" by business groups he had joined before, said SMEs in the region would flourish as a result of the road networks that would soon be operational in the region.
Representing the newly organized Advocates for the Development of Central Luzon (ADCL), Romero said the bright prospect for SMEs should catch the attention of local government units (LGUs) surrounding the infrastructure projects.
Citing the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway Project (SCTEP) as example, the businessman said multi-national companies are expected to file up their industries along the highway, which would pump-prime the economic potential of North and Central Luzon.
SCTEP is a 93.7-kilometer expressway that links Subic to Clark and the Luisita economic zone in Tarlac. The project is expected to be complete by the end of 2007.
Romero said there is no stopping the economic development of Central Luzon since all transportation facilities, such as seaports, airports, railway systems and toll roads, are in place.
With tourism as the initial sector that would benefit from the development, local and international business locators would start to come in hordes, making the region as both tourism and economic hubs of Southeast Asia.
And once large-scale industries start operations, Romero said sub-contracts would spillover to SMEs that are already in place in nearby areas. "Making business in this part of the region would be a breeze and we could expect the influx of trade, thus, the need for supporting industries that could provide various services," he added.
Good governance
Romero said ADCL's battlecry, "Exciting Central Luzon", should awaken local officials in the towns surrounding the transportation facilities to prepare their localities for the economic boom.
ADCL is also an advocate of good governance, Romero said. "We cannot achieve our goals if we do not have good people to lead our localities," he said.
"If we'll not dream, work together and lobby for these developments, then we cannot expect progress to just come to our areas," he added.
He said LGUs should start planning the zoning of their respective localities, prepare by educating their human resource on the upcoming development. "It is about time that we set aside political bickering and start working hand in hand to attain what we have been dreaming for a long time," he added.
(January 4, 2006 issue)
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