The Iloilo Business Renaissance

The Iloilo business renaissance - Speech of Sec Cerge Remonde during the Induction of New Members and Officers of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Iloilo.
27 November 2008 .


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THE Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Iloilo, Inc. (CCII) had a fresh start last Saturday with the induction of its new officers. My good friend and Mayor of Iloilo City Jerry Treñas was on hand to personally preside over the induction ceremonies.

The CCII was, at one time, one of the more active chambers of industry, whose actions made an impact in and outside Iloilo. It is a tradition that the present Secretary of the Department of Justice Raul Gonzalez continues to uphold.

Along with the new officers, new members were also inducted into the CCII membership. Notably, many of these inductees that infused new blood into the CCII belonged to the younger generation. It was a welcome sight which clearly indicated that more young people – in Iloilo, and hopefully in other parts of the country – are becoming entrepreneurs, instead of going on the traditional route of being employees only.

The declaration of newly inducted President Joe Marie Agriam that one of the priorities of the CCII under his leadership shall be to help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) was also pleasant to hear.

Indeed, the call of the hour in these times of global economic instability is to stand together and do what we can to help one another. The government is doing all it can to mitigate the effects of the present global crisis through pump-priming activities, such as MSME promotion and infrastructure development.

Certainly, businesses can also contribute in enabling the country to weather this economic tsunami. Chambers of commerce, whose members include industry leaders and seasoned veterans in the art of business, can greatly help start-up and nascent enterprises become more established

More established and growing enterprises should translate not just to job security but also to greater employment opportunities for many more of our people. More people employed would mean more consumption, which in turn should drive greater production. The continuance of these economic activities should keep the country on its growth streak.

Beyond helping smaller businesses, the movers and shakers of the Iloilo business community can also do a lot in terms of improving the province’s electricity infrastructure. The supply of reliable electricity continues to elude the area, which prevents the province from realizing its full potential.

I am confident that the re-energized CCII will be able to provide the impetus that will unite and mobilize all sectors in the province in resolving this key issue in Iloilo development, and enable the province to keep in step with the developments happening all over the country.