ERWIN P. NICAVERA
July 10, 2019
BACOLOD. PCCI-Western Visayas governor Donna Rose Ratilla (right) with Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson (eight from right), MBCCI officials headed by president Roberto Montelibano (seventh from right) and chief executive officer Frank Carbon (fourth from right), provincial supervising tourism operations officer Cristine Mansinares (ninth from right) and tourism officers in the province during the opening of the 11th Negros Business Week at Robinsons Place Bacolod running from July 6 to 17 this year. (Erwin P. Nicavera)
THE Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) in Western Visayas has recognized the need to further develop small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the region including Negros Occidental in order for them to be more competitive.
PCCI-Western Visayas governor Donna Rose Ratilla, at the sidelines of the ongoing 11th Negros Business Week at Robinsons Place Bacolod, said SMEs remain to be the backbone of the local economy.
Ratilla said small and medium scale businesses comprise 94 to 96 percent of the economy thus, there’s a need to empower them.
“It is PCCI’s thrust to help SMEs in order to sustain our economy and achieve an inclusive growth,” the regional governor said, as she lauded the efforts of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) on developing local entrepreneurs.
MBCCI, in collaboration with the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental and various government agencies, has been hosting the annual business week.
For this year, the business group gathered at least 30 enterprises, mostly food processors, from different local government units (LGUs) in the province.
Most of these enterprises are from outside Bacolod City assisted by the business chamber and their respective LGUs.
The activity running from July 6 to 17 is more of a “food exposition” as it showcases the strong culinary sector of the province.
Themed “Driving Progress in Harmony,” it is positioned to trigger growth and development towards the rural areas especially agriculture and fishery communities in the province.
It is also part of the group’s effort to empower women, mainly enabling them to earn and augment their family’s income.
Ratilla said other business chambers in the region also have efforts to boost local entrepreneurs, but it is MBCCI that pioneered the hosting of the annual business week.
“PCCI really appreciates its (MBCCI) moves to empower women to become entrepreneurs,” she said, recognizing the group’s initiative to further develop SMEs also through linking them to various government agencies.
Ratilla said Negros Occidental has a lot of food products.
In fact, in this year’s business week, “we found out that it elevated in terms of packaging, variety and value-adding.”
“These are what we need to compete in the whole nation and even globally with our local products,” the PCCI official added.
