“Without investment there will not be growth, and without growth there will not be employment.” –Muhtar Kent
The Philippine Council of Management (Philcoman) hailed the Iloilo City government for “the boldest gesture to invade the prime cities of America,” referring to the ongoing Iloilo City Trade Mission and Investment Forum. They called the mission in New York City a “great moment.”
Speaking before US-based businessmen; investors; and Filipino-American entrepreneurs, fashion enthusiasts, and students earlier this week at the Philippine Center Kalayaan Hall, Philcoman Research Institute, Inc. president and project coordinator, Dr. Emily Noserale, emphasized, under the leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte, “All the bright and good things [are] happening.”
She said their presence in big cities in the United States, showcasing the latest development efforts of Iloilo City, is “very timely” in terms of political, economic, and social aspects, as Americans are seeing “flourishing and expanding business activities that are now producing great results in the social and economic lives of Ilonggos.”
Noserale disclosed, business opportunities in Iloilo City include the fields of agri-business and aquaculture, infrastructure, tourism, and the academe.
Rice granary
She also described Iloilo as the “food basket and rice granary of the Western Visayas,” pointed out the presence of high value crops, livestock, and sea products.
“There is a great potential by capitalizing on connectivity and networks [with] companies for food processing and agricultural transshipment,” Noserale explained.
She also highlighted infrastructure, noting, logistics and transportations are key in supporting the food and agriculture sectors.
“As Iloilo has restructured its economy by enhancing innovation and moving up the value chain, we could also explore opportunities in info-communication technologies,” the Philcoman official stressed. “Explore on how data and analytics could be used to create smart solutions that can improve the lives of its citizens.”
She also called tourism an industry that “holds significant opportunity.”
“Visitor arrivals continued to grow as the famous Dinagyang Festival is held yearly with so much fun and frolic,” Noserale said. “Hotels, inns, and transient houses are almost fully booked to meet this growing demand.”
She added, other attractions include well-maintained centuries-old churches, which proudly stand and signify the deep faith of Ilonggos.
Schools
The Philcoman president provided a list of universities, colleges, state universities, and vocational schools that have “generated economic development,” adding, “[Education] plays an integral role in furthering economic growth and, thereby, pursuing socioeconomic goals by transferring knowledge to society.”
“They share a role in securing the future labor force by fostering knowledge, analytical thinking, broad capabilities, and technical skills on our young people,” she explained. “The ingenuity of the Ilonggos adds more color in creating beauty to the native products of Iloilo City, like hablon and making jewelry with sculptured design.”
She also discussed recent development in Iloilo, including:
- The River Esplanade, a 1.2-kilometer park, forming a heritage zone; the gothic-renaissance Molo Church, which was built in 1831; and the Carpenter Bridge, which connects Molo and Mandurriao districts
- The Iloilo Business Park, a 72-hectare area managed by the Megaworld Corporation and hosts BPO office towers, a mall, the Richmonde Hotel, a Courtyard by Marriott, and the Iloilo Convention Center
- The Atria Park District, a 21-hectare area owned by Ayala Land and Ayala Technohub with Seda Hotel and Avida Towers currently under development
- The Gaisano City Center, a 16-hectare are which will include the 40-story Gaisano Tower
- The Jalaur River Multipurpose Project, a megaproject worth P11.2 billion funded by South Korea and the biggest project outside of Luzon targeted for completion this year. It will provide irrigation to 31,849 hectares of farmland, deliver 86,000 cubic meters of bulk water a day to water-scarce Iloilo City, along with mitigate flooding and foster eco-tourism.
Iloilo also has several major industrial plants. Two sugar mills, one flour mill, and at least four feedmills; with future developments in agriculture, which could spur agri-manufacturing industries.
Flights
From Iloilo City, one can fly international to Singapore and Hong Kong, along with five daily flights to Manila. Iloilo International Airport also provides service different destinations across the Philippines, making it one of the busiest airports in the Visayas and Mindanao.
Iloilo ranked as the eighth-most competitive highly urbanized city, which is compiled on the annual Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index; 98th on the Global Top 100 Outsourcing cities, put together by consulting firm Tholons; and among the “50 Aspiring Cities,” based on the city being an “ideal hub” for business process outsourcing investment.
In addition, travel website “The Guide to Sleeping in Airports” ranked Iloilo the 12th best airport in Asia./WDJ