Stronger trade ties seen as Cebu, Ormoc chambers ink pact

TRADE promotions and industrial cooperation between Cebu and Ormoc are seen to become stronger as chamber groups from both areas recently entered into a sisterhood agreement.

The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and Ormoc Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) sealed their partnership during the 25th Visayas Area Business Conference (VABC) in Ormoc City last Thursday.

“We are very happy that a sisterhood chamber agreement was forged between CCCI and OCCI,” said CCCI President Melanie Ng.

The agreement was signed by Ng and OCCI President Jude Abenoja.

Ng said this will be mutually beneficial for both chambers in terms of learning and discovering potentials and possibilities as they bring business to the next level in the Visayas.

Abenoja, in an earlier interview, said that the OCCI hopes to learn many things from the CCCI.

The CCCI was established in 1993 while OCCI was only formed in 1999.

While the CCCI is focused on reinforcing the growth of identified sectors such as tourism, IT-BPO and entrepreneurship, the private sector in Ormoc hopes to learn from the Cebu-based business group in developing its own industries.

Abenoja earlier said that they intend to strengthen tourism, mining, agriculture and agribusiness, small and medium enterprises and to attract more outsourcing and IT investments.

Ormoc City’s economic base is a good mix of agriculture, aquaculture, industry, tourism and commercial services. Sugarcane, rice and pineapple are the bulk produce of the agricultural sector.

Chambers of commerce and industry are organized to foster, promote, develop, strengthen and to serve as the “voice” of the business sector, the pact stated.

“Chamber activities are best achieved through cooperation among all sectors of the economy and through the establishment and strengthening of inter-chamber relation,” it further said.