ILOILO is ready to open and sell its investment opportunities to the world starting with a business forum on March 12 at the Intercontinental Hotel.
Expected to attend the forum are 300 investors and blue chip corporations mostly based at the Philippines financial district of Makati City.
Main host Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog said that “Iloilo Means Business” is a major step toward making Iloilo a preferred business destination for national and direct foreign investments augmented by its global competitiveness currently recognized by industry leaders pouring in massive investments in the province.
The forum is also being pushed by the Iloilo Economic Development Foundation, United States Agency for International Development and the Department of Trade and Industry in creating Iloilo as the next important business and investment destination in the Visayas.
Mabilog said the city is undergoing changes in its economic outlook by striving to be business-friendly. The National Competitiveness Council has also rated Iloilo as the second highly competitive city in the country ready for global saturation.
Senate President Franklin Drilon, himself a true blooded Ilonggo, will deliver the keynote address in igniting interest of global and national investors to Iloilo.
The participants will hear the personal testimonies of those who initially believed and invested early in Iloilo by seeing the dynamic potentials of the city under a new leadership in the national government.
The testimonials will come from Antonio T. Aquino, president and CEO of Ayala Land Inc.; Francisco Sebastian, chairman of Global Business Power Corp.; Ramon R. del Rosario Jr., president and CEO of Phinma Inc.; Kevin Andrew L. Tan, first VP and head of the Commercial Division of Megaworld Corp; and homegrown business magnate Edgar Sia, CEO of Injap Investments Inc.
Dr. Walter W. Brown, executive chairman of Palm Concepcion Power Corp., will lead in expressing investors’ confidence and interest, while Deputy Mission director Reed Aeschliman of the United States Agency for International Development (USAid) and Iloilo City Representative Jerry P. Treñas will deliver the messages of support.
Mabilog said that Iloilo is now ready for business matching and networking with the international industry players in showing off Iloilo as the revitalized economic driver of Western Visayas with a business enabling environment, well-developed infrastructure backbone and extensive human resources.