THE Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) is seeking P25 million in funding from the Cebu City Government to support the business and investment branding “Invest in Cebu, Prosper in Paradise” and other activities under the Cebu Investments Development Concierge Center’s (CIDCC) second-phase implementation.
The chamber also seeks the Cebu City Council’s assistance in crafting an ordinance to institutionalize the CIDCC and Cebu’s branding for investment, ensuring its continuity despite leadership changes.
In an interview, CCCI president Jay Yuvallos said the P25 million proposed budget for the year will cover activities related to CIDCC’s five pillars—government structure, concierge center, intelligence research, supply chain ecosystem development and marketing.
“We want to do this right. We want to have an office. We have done the foundational work of how an investment office should be,” said Yuvallos.
Yuvallos noted that currently, there is no single office within the City Government solely focused on promoting and generating investments in Cebu.
In the past, there was the Cebu Investment and Promotions Center created during the stint of former mayor Tomas Osmeña. It ended its services in 2013 after the City Government of Cebu terminated its funding support.
“The term ‘invest’ (in the campaign) will be inclusive,” said Yuvallos, noting that they want Cebu to attract both large-scale investments and investments from micro, small and medium enterprises.
CIDCC was created as an economic recovery stimulus initiative from the pandemic in collaboration with the Cebu City Government in 2020. According to the executive order issued by then-mayor Edgardo Labella, CIDCC’s primary function is to invite investors, both foreign and local and give them appropriate advice on the trade and investment opportunities in the city. It was granted financial assistance amounting to P18 million. Since then, CIDCC has offered training programs that focus on different areas of business to the local MSMEs to adapt to operations under the new normal.
Yuvallos, who continues to represent the Philippines in the Asean Business Advisory Council as an alternate representative, is prioritizing Cebu’s branding for investments and business. Under his leadership, he aims to develop a culture of innovation and creativity and to change mindsets.
Leadership agenda
The current CCCI board, according to Yuvallos, has adopted a leadership agenda: LEAD.
“This agenda reflects the chamber’s mission and vision, which is clear to address the challenges we face and will continue to face as business leaders,” he said. The “L” refers to launching the Cebu brand ‘Invest in Cebu: Prosper in Paradise’ in June. This brand was decided after a series of consultations with branding experts and focus group discussions and interviews with various industry players and line agencies, the CCCI president explained.
“E refers to engaging the whole community on a deeper level to ensure that every member’s voice is heard and value, fostering an inclusive environment for dialog and collaboration. Engagement is key,” he said.
“A’ refers to active partnerships and ‘D’ means focusing on developing an innovative and creative culture in all business sectors and sub-sectors to add value through out-of-the-box thinking, embracing new ideas, overcoming challenges and seizing opportunities. Before becoming CCCI president, I consulted with people, past presidents, officers, and the CCCI team,” Yuvallos said.
Through these consultations, he collated different ideas and identified gaps that needed to be addressed. Under his leadership, CCCI will also be open to establishing partnerships with various chambers, organizations and businesses across these areas.
“We need to partner with other membership organizations. The call to action is for everyone to come together,” he said.
CCCI’s goals also include implementing legacy projects and setting up innovation hubs and a showroom for small entrepreneurs. The proposed SME showroom will be set up on the ground floor of the Cebu Chamber Center, North Reclamation Area, Cebu City.
Yuvallos acknowledged the challenge of leading the chamber but expressed his commitment to introducing a ‘shift’ in mindsets.
“Now, my job is to captain a steady ship and then change perspectives here, changing mindsets there,” he said. The chamber, he said will continue organizing seminars and pursuing a leadership agenda that engages the whole community.
“We will look at the best people to deliver change and transformation. The Cebu Chamber also plans to convince more MSMEs that it is inclusive,” he said. / KOC