Friday, October 13, 2017
A local business leader yesterday said investments are now leading to Negros Island as more developments from the public and private sectors are now taking place.
Frank Carbon, chief executive officer of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said yesterday, that developments are now being delivered to the countryside in Negros but the province still needs more infrastructures to assure economic growth.
He saidthat substantial developments on real estate and power generation are already growing in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental but inter provincial connectivity should be made to strengthen and sustain its biggest sector, which is agriculture.
“Negros Island is one big market, and more projects and initiatives from the public and private sector are needed to lure more investments,” Carbon said.
Many projects have been in place as its effects have been beneficial to the local people, making the city and the province reapdifferent awards and citations, he said.
Bacolod City and Negros Occidental are finalists in this year's most business-friendlylocal government in the Philippine Business Conference in the highly-urbanized city and provincial categories, respectively.
Carbon said MBCCI has already been a hall of fame awardee as the most outstanding chamber and they plan to return to the competition next year.
The awarding will be done during the 43 rd PBC and Expo on Oct. 18 to 19 at the Manila Hotel in Metro Manila, where some officials from the city and the province will attend the event, together with the MBCCI.
Infrastructure and connectivity should be worked out in the province, Carbon said, adding, the government should find a way to reach rural areas that have a lot of potential.
Water and power distribution utilities in Bacolod also need to be improved to ensure that business processes will be efficient as it is now a contact service hub that demands 24-hour business transactions and operations, he said.
Carbon said that there are many agricultural areas in the island that should be nurtured, especially for the vegetable supply of the people.
He said that 60 to 70 percent of vegetable consumption in the island used to be supplied by other provinces, adding that this is the time when Negros fills that need on its own. * MLG
