Leyte province marks Business Month

PALO, Leyte, Oct. 18 (PNA) -- The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Tacloban City and Leyte chapters are celebrating the first Leyte Business Month after super typhoon Yolanda struck nearly three years ago.

PCCI Tacloban-Leyte President Wilson Uy said that after two years, their organization decided to again hold Leyte Business Month since they believe that they are done with the recovery phase from the devastation.

“During this period the business community proves the determination to restore operations and even build back better. The chamber believes that business community had earn out their recovery efforts and now ready to move forward to a more resilient and dynamic climate.

One of the highlights of the celebration is the business exposition on Oct. 18 to 19 at the Leyte Academic Center Gymnasium. The exposition focuses on promoting Leyte and this city as an investment hub and help small entrepreneurs grow their business.

Local government units from Leyte’s first congressional district, business owners, small and medium entrepreneurs, and national government agencies set up their display booths to showcase investment opportunities and development plans in their respective areas.

The local PCCI chapters also launched a project that will guide small businesses on proper management of their finances by teaching them basic accounting.

Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, who was the guest speaker during the event, said that although Leyte’s economy is now catching up, there are still things that need to be done to ensure economic gains sustainability.

One of the weaknesses of the province and of the entire region is the lack of employment opportunities for the labor force, forcing job seekers to go out of the region, according to the governor.

“We have companies that are massively employing people, but the availability of jobs to employ people is not enough to the number of people looking for jobs,” Petilla added.

The Eastern Visayas’ birth rate is very high, however, when it comes to population growth, Cebu tops the four regions in the Visayas due to migration of job seekers, according to Petilla.

That is why the thrust of the provincial government is to make people in the province productive by empowering them to become entrepreneurs through agriculture.

“If we lack employment opportunities, we have to create businesses that will employ people by putting emphasize on where we are better and that is on agriculture,” Petilla said.

October is Leyte’s Business Month based on a provincial ordinance. (PNA)
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