BY ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
SO TIMELY! Quite relevant! Above all else, an excellent proof!
This is Bacolod City’s very recent citation from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) as one of the “Most Business-Friendly Local Government Units” in the entire Philippines for the current year.
The “City of Smiles” bested 10 other city-finalists in the highly-urbanized city (HUC) outside Metro Manila category in this nationwide search.
The award, as announced by PCCI president Benedicto Tyujuico during the 47th Business Conference and Expo in Manila on Nov. 18, came on the heels of comparison between Bacolod and Iloilo City.
Bacolod (under Bing), as said by other political quarters, is just the “kusina” (kitchen) of Iloilo City. This “nasty” comparison is also being tackled in various radio programs (both AM and FM in the city) for quite a month already aimed at demeaning the current administration.
But Tyujuico’s announcement, by all means, erased the board of uncertainties, doubts and bad perceptions against Bing, et al. Rather, it enlivened Bing and his administration. It also made every Bacolodnon not just so proud, but delighted as well.
To be named as the “Most Business-Friendly LGU” in the entire country is no ordinary accolade. There’s an “it” in it. Just imagine how credible people from the PCCI. It’s a group composed of highly-respected businessmen. The selection committee tasked to screen all the entries or finalists is composed of people with intact integrity truly beyond question.
Also, the LGU-finalists were meticulously judged based on their innovative “diskarte” that really highlighted their best success stories and practices in going beyond mere compliance to address the overwhelming negative impacts of the current health pandemic to the business community.
The judges also looked for two essential indicators which, for them, served as the key factors in choosing the real winners.
These included:
* Energizing economic development through ease of doing business (EODB) initiatives
* Health and safety-related initiatives carried out by the LGU to address coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) challenges.
And among the more than a hundred entries, only eight LGUs emerged as this year’s winners.
* Municipality of Concepcion in Iloilo (for 3rd to 5th Class Municipality)
* Municipality of Guiguinto in Bulacan (for 1st to 2nd Class Municipality)
* Province of Bataan (for 3rd to 5th Class Province)
* Province of Cavite (for 1st to 2nd Class Province)
* Tuguegarao City (for 3rd to 5th Class Component City)
* Tagum City (for 1st to 2nd Class Component City)
* Bacolod City (for Highly- Urbanized City outside of the National Capital Region)
* Manila City (for Highly-Urbanized City within the National Capital Region)
What a feat, indeed!
FELICIANO FACTOR
Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) chairman and PCCI director for the Visayas Frank Carbon says the city’s initiative of inviting Inter-Agency Task Force for the Visayas (IATF-Visayas) General Mel Feliciano (ret) related to COVID-19 impacted the city’s entry in the search.
The “Feliciano factor”, admits Carbon, really meant not just for saving lives, but for saving jobs and businesses, too.
“It (Feliciano factor) was an excellent initiative of the city which reassured everyone in Bacolod, including the business community not to panic amid COVID-19.”
Feliciano’s teaching on the setting up of an emergency operation center (EOC) and how to deal with COVID-19 were really plus factors for the city’s anti-COVID-19 responses, Carbon stresses.
“It’s really a splendid effort of the City Government done with business sense element.”
Likewise, the continuity of the city’s “One-Stop-Shop” (OSS) business renewal at the height of COVID-19 also caught the attention of the PCCI’s screeners.
The continuance of such by bringing to the mall(s) for a wider space in observance of health and safety protocols amid COVID-19 was also an exceptional move by Bing administration, furthers Carbon, adding, “Above all, it eradicates corruption to our advantage.”
REDEEMED
Thus, regardless of the intensity of criticism(s) hurled against the incumbent city officials on their COVID-19 handling and responses, the award is an awe-inspiring substantiation that, indeed, they did well.
In sum, the leadership of Bing and Vice Mayor and IATF-Bacolod chief El Cid Familiaran with former city administrator and EOC head Em Ang on COVID-19 responses proved that it’s not just noteworthy, but superb as well with no less the country’s top group of businessmen acknowledges such.
Truth is, Bing’s administration was “bombarded” by denigrations (left and right) due to COVID-19. The current health pandemic was then converted into a “meaty” political issue in the city. And was chopped into pieces and are now being cooked ‘til election day.
But with the PCCI’s citation, Bing’s administration is assuredly redeemed. Bing’s undoubtedly so lucky! Probably, he neither wished nor dreamt of this. But it came like a “jet plane in the night”, dropping the good news to all Bacolodnons.
ECSTATIC
So with the recent award harvested by Bacolod, MBCCI, confides Carbon, is so ecstatic.
“It’ll put the city and even the province in the investment radar or will help the city sell well to the investors.”
“It’ll attract more and more investors, of course,” he punctuates.
In short, discloses Carbon, it’ll mean another billion peso investments in the city.
But the best thing to happen next is the award will also encourage the city officials to do more or work more with the business community.
PCCI, describes Carbon, is one biggest business organization in the country composed of highly-regarded businessmen.
And Bacolod being a finalist in this prestigious search (year after year) for the past six year is an indicative that Bing’s administration has really a good relationship with the business community in the city, he attests.
This year, underscores Carbon, is just a culmination of the city’s best efforts in (always) giving an utmost preference to business.
On record, the first time Bacolod copped the same award was in 2007 or 14 years ago with Bing in the helm still.
PEOPLE’S APPROVAL
Hence, Bing’s astounding relationship with the business sector is a well-defined manifestation that, certainly, he is an outstanding promoter of career opportunities in the city.
Evident to this is the current mushrooming of notable investments in Bacolod through the establishment of new hotels, high-end subdivisions, malls, and even of a Manila university branch.
And like what American nature poet Henry David Thoreau’s had said, “Goodness is the only investment that never fails.” Bing and his marvelous connect with the city’s businessmen, therefore, spells a lot of goodness really.
And Carbon’s above-quoted statements constituted more than a 100 percent approval rating that, indeed, investors’ trust remains so high in Bacolod. This investors’ trust is now Bing’s remarkable asset that no one can ever “crash” no matter what happens.
Not even the much-anticipated elections next year.
Because investors’ trust is really, really convertible to people’s approval beyond doubt(s)./PN
