BACOLOD City – “This is the only SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) local office in the country created by legislation and we give the credit to then congressman Evelio ‘Bing’ Leonardia.”
This was the statement of Gerardo del Rosario, director of SEC Company Registration and Monitoring Department, as he disclosed that SEC will officially open its permanent office in Bacolod City on Friday, Nov. 23.
“This was conceptualized to serve our corporate and business sectors and create a climate conducive for business to grow. It is also aimed to improve the ease of doing business in Bacolod and Negros Island. And eventually it will provide inclusive growth,” Leonardia explained on how his bill would impact the area.
Del Rosario led the delegation, composed of Human Resource and Administrative Department director Romuald Padilla, training officer Diana Elvina Cortes, and legal counsel Ma. Cristina Montelibano, that visited the Bacolod City Government Center recently to formally announce the SEC Bacolod opening.
Leonardia’s bill was passed into law in the 16th Congress as Republic Act No. 10785, otherwise known as “SEC Bacolod Office Law.”
“This means that no matter who will run the SEC, the Bacolod office is here to stay as a permanent office. This will not be subjected to administrative policy changes. Its existence will even be more stable than any other field office in the country,” the mayor exclaimed.
A SEC office in Bacolod will further boost the “business-friendly policies” of the Leonardia administration, which has been consistently recognized by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry as among the top finalists in its “Most Business-Friendly” annual national contests.
The creation of a SEC office in Bacolod is one of the legislative moves of Leonardia to help boost the local growth and development. Among his measures were to seek the establishment of Bacolod local offices for the Professional Regulation Commission, Department of Tourism, and Commission on Higher Education, and others. (Bacolod City PIO/PN)
