May 23, 2013 – The Garden Orchid Hotel in Zamboanga City was packed with key stakeholders from business communities, national government agencies, local government units, academic institutions, and media for the third leg of the provincial roadshows of the National Competitiveness Council.

The event was intended to encourage the active participation of Region 9 in formulating and implementing government reforms to improve the country’s governance and competitiveness. It was co-organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – Region 9 and the Regional Competitiveness Committee (RCC).

During his opening remarks, DTI-Region 9 Regional Director and RCC Chair Nazrullah B. Manzur shared his belief that the RCC, which was created in the region last year, will help in improving the region’s ranking. Currently, it is only a notch higher than the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, the country’s poorest region. He encouraged participants to go out of their comfort zones and take an active role in improving their region’s performance.

Mr. Pedro Rufo Soliven, President of the Zamboanga City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation Inc., the Most Outstanding Chamber in Mindanao, strongly suggested establishing the brand identity of the Zamboanga Peninsula as a cohesive cluster. He added that public-private partnership is important in bolstering the region’s competitive strengths and advantages.

The local government’s efforts and best practices, especially on improving business registration processes, were also presented by Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat, represented by City Administrator Antonio Orendain Jr.

“What I’m [going to] ask you at the end of the day is seriously think, profile the Peninsula, profile the region, profile the city, and look for a comparative city or region in ASEAN or another part of the world because that’s who you are ultimately competing with”, stressed NCC Private Sector Co-Chair and guest of honor, Mr. Guillermo Luz.

The roadshow also stirred discussions about the region’s issues on power, transportation, business processes and licensing, information and communications technology procurement, industry roadmaps, farming, and agricultural products such as rubber and coconuts.