WV projects gear up for ASEAN 2015 By: Leonard T. Pineda I ILOILO CITY, March 11 (PIA) --- Numerous government projects being implemented in Western Visayas will help ensure sustained progress here and attain full benefits of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) economic community by 2015. The ASEAN envisions an economic community (EC) in 2015 characterized by a single market and production base, competitive economic region, equitable economic development, and integration into the global economy. In his keynote address during the forum on AEC 2015 held Tuesday, National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Director-General Arsenio Balisacan said the government continues to improve business climate, promote an environment that increases productivity and innovative capacity, enforce regulations on consumer welfare and further enhance market access. Balisacan said that Western Visayas has ample share of government projects that can help sectors and stakeholders here respond to the challenge of AEC 2015. He said that Region 6 being a major player in the tourism industry can benefit from the development of strategic tourism products in tourism cluster destinations which expand visitor’s expenditure and length of stay. He said with AEC, we can expect to reach out to a wider tourism market to further boost several major destinations in the region including the world famous Boracay Island, Guimaras Island, and the southern Negros island attractions. He also said that Iloilo Airport will also be expanded to cater to more domestic and international passengers and cargo. “Construction of roads leading to tourism destinations are being undertaken through the Department of Tourism (DOT)- Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Convergence Project that includes the expansion of the Iloilo-Capiz-Kalibo highway,” he said. The APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) ministerial meetings that may take place in 2015 in Iloilo City, Bacolod City, and Boracay Island could boost tourism receipts. The NEDA official also shared that the ports of Caticlan in Aklan, Dumangas in Iloilo, and Banago in Negros Occidental will be expanded and modernized to accommodate more traffic of cargo trucks, vans, and passenger bus as part of the country’s roll-on, roll-off (RORO) highway. The government will also nurture the Filipino talent pool by promoting and accelerating the development of high-value information technology-business process management (IT-BPM) services and the “next-wave” cities, he said. According to the Department of Science and Technology and the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), Iloilo City is part of the ten next wave cities considered rising investment areas for business process outsourcing (BPO) firms. Bacolod City was also named a Center of Excellence, joining Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Clark. (JCM/LTP/PIA-Iloilo)
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 04:19:54 +0000
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