A leader of the business sector in Negros Occidental is seeking the help of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry to push projects on coconut development, aquaculture ventures, and the revival of the Philippine Sugar Corporation.
Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chief Executive Officer Frank Carbon told DIGICAST NEGROS that he brought these concerns to the sectoral committees of PCCI as he hopes to get more developments to the province.
Carbon, PCCI Vice President for Visayas, is in Manila for the PCCI executive committee meeting.
He joined the sub-committee meetings on agriculture, and power and energy, Carbon said.
They discussed how PCCI could assist the provinces in the Visayas in getting ample shares from the Philippine Coconut Authority’s P75 billion budget for the rehabilitation of the coconut industry, he said.
“We are seeking the PCCI’s help as they have more networks to the government officials where they can lobby for these projects,” Carbon said, and he cited that there are a lot of areas in South Negros that can be potential coconut producers.
Carbon also said that in their discussion with the agriculture committee, MBCCI requested PCCI to discuss with CP Philippines, a subsidiary of CP Thailand, about the P7 billion loan granted by the Development Bank of the Philippines to them to develop aquaculture ventures.
“We are asking them to consider the Negros Island in their expansion program in the country,” he said.
Carbon said he will also ask the chamber to help in reviving the Philippine Sugar Corporation.
The revival of PhilSuCor will help in increasing the production of local sugar and improve the technology of the sugar centrals in Negros, he added.*