A BUSINESS leader stressed that growth in Negros Occidental should be balanced; it should be poured in both urban and rural areas.
Frank Carbon, Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) chief executive officer, on the sidelines of the Marketing Trends Seminar at GT Hotel in Bacolod City Friday, March 29, said the chamber has an ongoing partnership with the provincial government on putting together their resources.
Carbon said this is to ensure that projects will have an impact to the community. But, the focus of the strategy is to bring in development in the rural areas.
The business leader said the growth, especially in the service sector, is in the urban area. It is where the investments and jobs are.
“There’s no employment in the rural areas. For one, our agricultural area offers fewer jobs plus the production is declining,” he said, adding that the strategy now should be balanced growth.
The MBCCI has recognized that since private investments are poured in the urban areas, it should be compensated by public investments of national government agencies (NGAs) and local government units (LGUs) among rural areas.
While the business chamber is helping to prepare local startups and their products, the government should also work on bringing investments and developments like infrastructure to the rural areas, it said.
The seminar, which was attended by at least 45 women entrepreneurs, food processors, and assisted-small and medium enterprises (SMEs), forms part of MBCCI’s strategy.
Carbon said they are trying to help most of these clients, who are mostly from out-of-town, to grow.
Once they grow, these startups and small businesses can create livelihood and even start hiring.
Carbon said entrepreneurs are encouraged to convert and process their products on the ground like squash, sweet potato and pineapple so they can sell and create more revenue.
“So aside from this marketing training, we have been conducting series of seminars like processing, product development and value-adding,” he said, adding that the chamber has also provided equipment enabling small businesses to grow and create jobs in the rural areas.
“So that’s our contribution,” Carbon said as he expressed optimism that government agencies will take note of this and further pour out their resources to the rural and agricultural areas.
Moreover, part of helping small business to grow is linking them to government agencies like the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
Through DOST’s Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program or Set Up, they can avail themselves of financial assistance with no collateral, zero interest, and three years to pay with one-year grace period, Carbon said.