Cebu, finalist in search for Most Business Friendly LGU

The Suroy Suroy sa Sugbo, the e-Gwen, and Service with a Smile programs are among the practices that helped Cebu become one of the seven finalists in the 2012 Most Business Friendly LGU Awards for Province.

Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia cited these activities initiated by the province and made successful with the help of the private sector during the final judging last week of the search at the Commerce and Industry Plaza in Taguig City.

“I do believe that our partnerships with the private sector as well as these innovative programs have positively impacted the lives of our people,” said Garcia.

The Suroy Suroy sa Sugbo is a tourism program aimed at bringing tourists to the countryside.

The e-Gwen ( Expanded Green and Wholesome Environment that Nurtures) and the Obra Negosyo Eskwela Countryside Enterprise Business Upliftment (ONE CEBU) are programs to help uplift and empower people at the countryside to become self-sufficient.

The Service with a Smile program was patterned after the Shangri-La Mactan Island Resort and Spa program, aimed at improving the way Capitol employees deal with the public.

She also cited the build, transfer and operate agreement between the Cebu province and Filinvest Land Inc. for a multi-billion peso commercial facility, a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) complex in a province-owned lot in Lahug, Cebu City as a factor on why Cebu should be considered as the Most Business Friendly Province.

The other six finalist-provinces are the provinces of Tarlac, Pangasinan, La Union, Isabela and the two sister-provinces of Cebu, Ilocos Norte and South Cotabato.

The search started 10 years ago when the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry made a research to recognize municipalities and provinces that demonstrated outstanding efforts to promote trade and investments in their localities.

The criteria for the award will be based on trade, investments and tourism promotions, public-private sector partnership, MSME development, quality management system, innovations and human resources development, and inter-local government relations.

President Benigno Aquino III will hand over the award to the winning province this Oct. 11 as the highlight of the 38th Philippine Business Conference and Expo./Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus