CCCI chief sees biggest, grandest Cebu Business Month yet

CBM 2018 OPENING SALVO. Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) officers and board of trustees gather at the stage during the opening salvo of the 2018 Cebu Business Month at the Ayala Center Terraces. CCCI President Antonio Chiu is confident that this year’s CBM will be the biggest and grandest one yet with more experiential activities lined up for the month. / Junjie Mendoza

The “biggest and grandest” Cebu Business Month (CBM) has been officially opened.

Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) President Antonio Chiu declared the start of the monthlong celebration, which is now on its 22nd year, during the grand opening salvo at The Terraces of Ayala Center Cebu on Friday evening.

“Through the team’s excellent line up of activities, we are confident that this year’s Cebu Business Month will mark a history as we make this annual celebration a pivotal point of transforming the micro, small, medium and large business achievements into powerful investment and marketing opportunities pushing forward Cebu’s competitive advantage around the world,” Chiu said in his speech.

With the theme “Innovate Cebu,” the CBM 2018 lines up several “experiential activities” that are focused on three main thrusts — tourism, entrepreneurship, and information and communications technology (ICT) and business process management (BPM).

A ceremonial reveal of the three thrusts was held during the opening salvo with its committee chairmen Edwin Ortiz, Rey Calooy, and Paulo Uy, respectively.

The activity was attended by different personalities including Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III, Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, Cebu Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 Regional Director Shalimar Tamano, Cebu Holdings Inc. President Jun Bisnar, and other officials and trustees of the CCCI.

In his speech, Gov. Davide said Cebu’s vibrant economy is a product of close collaboration between government and the public sector.

“We are seeing the strong support and unity of Cebu’s business community. The Cebu Provincial Government will continue to promote ease of doing business and helping our entrepreneurs to flourish and scale up, especially in the countryside,” he said.

The opening salvo also saw several world-class performances from the Loboc Youth Ambassadors Band of Bohol, Star System of Davao, Maka Girls and GMA 7 celebrity Solenn Heusaff.

A mini fashion show featuring the designs of Malayka Yamas was also held with Cebuana beauty queens.

An exhibition by Cebu’s Doce Pares Eskrima Club was also held.

A One Town, One Product Exhibit with 40 exhibitors from different areas in the province was also opened at the Ayala Center Cebu on Friday afternoon.

The exhibit, which runs from June 1 to 6, isin partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Cebu.

Among the activities for the CBM 2018 are the Lumba’g Laag on June 10-12, Tourism Innovation Forum on June 14, Innovation Summit on June 19-20, and the Grand Chamber Awards and Fellowship Night on June 29, among others.