February 09, 2018

Investing in Visayas may be the next best thing

Fresh off the success of 2017’s Davao Trade Mission, the British Chamber of Commerce Philippines (BCCP) looks to open up the country to foreign investors even more with their upcoming Iloilo Trade Mission, happening from March 8 – 9, 2018.

Davao might be an obvious choice for some businessmen as it is the home turf of President Rodrigo Duterte, but the Visayas Region, particularly the province of Iloilo, may have some businessmen scratching their heads.

Speaking to BCCP Chair Chris Nelson, he pointed out that the Visayas region has enjoyed robust growth. The region’s growth is seen to rise between 7.7 and 8.3 percent over the next 5 years.

Iloilo City, in particular, was named the champion among other cities in Western Visayas during the 2017 Excellence in Local Governance Awards (EXCELL) of the Department of Interior and Local Government.

Iloilo City was tops in Environmental Governance and was second in Administrative, Social, and Economic Governance for the City Category. The city was also praised for their Customer Service and Frontline Service Provision, Early Childhood Education, Labor and Employment, and Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate CHange Adaptation through innovative best practices.

The annual index by the National Competitiveness Council also had Iloilo City in the top 10 list of most competitive cities from 2014 to 2016. It bested over 100 cities based on its economic dynamism, efficiency, and infrastructure.

With so much potential, it should not come as a surprise that the BCCP is heavily invested in promoting the City of Iloilo as the next destination for both foreign and local businesses to either expand or set-up shop.

If you’re a businessman who’s looking to expand their horizons, you should have the Iloilo Trade Mission locked on your calendar. It’s happening from March 8 – 9, 2018 and will see an estimated total of 100 participants attending three main events: the Iloilo Trade and Investment Forum, site visits around Iloilo, and Business Networking and Socials.