LAGAWE, Ifugao – The newly established Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Ifugao Chapter wants local governments to recognize the role of the business sector in governance by allowing their group to be represented in the different policy-making committees.
Jonathan Cuyahon, PCCI Ifugao Chapter president, said it is high time for the voice of local businessmen to be considered in the crafting of economic and business policies by the municipal and provincial governments so that there would be a balance in the rules and regulations to be crafted to regulate the existence of businesses in the different localities.
“Ifugao is now a potential growth center in the region because of its robust tourism sector that is why local governments need the proper inputs from the business sector prior to the crafting of economic policies,” Cuyahon stressed.
Cuyahon, a former mayor of Kiangan town, said the PCCI will conduct an aggressive recruitment of members in the different municipalities in order to unite the province’s business sector so that they will have a unified stand on issues and concerns affecting the business sector.
He expressed his gratitude to PCCI Northern Luzon area vice president Engr. Alfonso T. Lao and PCCI Baguio-Benguet Chapter president Dr. Rhodora Ngolob for going out of their way in extending the needed technical assistance to organize the newest PCCI chapter in the province.
“Business is the partner of government in economic growth that is why we want to provide concerned local governments with the necessary inputs in order for local officials to be able to formulate business-friendly policies in the future,”Cuyahon stated.
According to him, the PCCI chapter will not hesitate to contribute their technical assistance to concerned local governments, especially in the crafting of business-friendly policies that will help uplift the economic growth of the concerned municipalities and the province as a whole.
Lao extended his congratulations to the first set of PCCI Ifugao chapter officers, saying that he is optimistic that they will be able to contribute in enticing prospective foreign and local investors to do business in the different parts of the province in order to spark the increase of economic activities key to rual development.
While it will be an uphill climb to improve the province’s economy in a short period of time, Engr. Lao said the unity, cooperation and teamwork of businessmen will serve as one of the major factors in spurring economic development that will cascade to the remote villages.
Lao will induct the first set of Ifugao PCCI officers in the town any day this February so that they will be able to start serving their constituents in order to build the province’s local economy.
By Dexter A. See
