Businessmen score weak gov’t support

published May 1, 2012 in BusinessWorld

MACROHON, Southern Leyte -Businessmen in Eastern Visayas, concerned over their region’s slow economic growth, have scored the national government for its weak support.

Dominador Q. Cabanganan, Samar Chamber of Commerce and Industry president, said Eastern Visayas may not have been prioritized for economic development considering that it is the fifth poorest region in the country.

“The support of the government has been very weak. We want to know in what area we can help because in the past the working relationship between public and private sector was not enhanced,” he said in an interview on the sidelines of the second
Eastern Visayas Regional Business Conference last week.

Conference delegates have agreed to improve linkages with government agencies through regular monthly meetings and revive their presence in the Regional Development
Council and its sectoral committees.

Robert R. Castanares, president of the Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the decline in the gross regional development product (GRDP) growth rate could be due to the lack of government efforts in spurring the economy.

“The national government is actively involved in social services and infrastructure programs, but not that much in economic development. That partly explains why in 2004 to 2009, our economy has not improved and poverty incidence has gone up,” Mr.
Castanares told conference delegates.

He said the region’s GRDP growth went down to 1.8% in 2009 from 5.2% in 2004. Per capita income in 2009 was only P7,400, about half of Western Visayas’ P14,500 and Central Visayas’ P15,300. The National Capital Region’s per capita is P38,600. Poverty incidence worsened to 41.4% in 2009 from 39% in 2006.-Sarwell Q. Meniano