Less negative effect in business seen

“In fact, it would even be good for the economy if (this is) handled right,” – Glenn Soco, Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president

Cebu business leaders see the recent Davao blast has little to no effect on the economic prospects of Cebu despite the island province being the gateway to Mindanao.

Glenn Soco, current Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) president, said yesterday that he believed that Cebu businesses, with its strong fundamentals, would be resilient amid these developments.

“In fact, it would even be good for the economy if (this is) handled right,” said Soco.

He said peace and order had always been something the business sector could not control.

Soco said that while the government would ensure peace and order in the country, the private sector would do its part in spurring socioeconomic growth.

He said the government’s efforts in addressing peace and order had done good to the economy as could be seen in the improving economic indicators.

But Edilberto Mendoza, president of the Cebu Association of Tour Operators (Cato), said isolated bombing incidents would tend to be generalized by people and might result in a slight decline in arrivals here.

“The recent Davao bombing will have a negative impact on Cebu as people usually generalize. They will get a ‘not so good’ impression with regard to safety and security,” Mendoza said in a text message.

While Cebu had marketed itself for so long more as “an island in the Pacific” rather than a part of the Philippines, he said there would be no denying that the province was still one of its units.

Nonetheless, he said he believed the matter would die down in due time just like any other bombing incident.

Philip Tan, Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) past president, said that there could be some unfavorable reactions on the incident caused by how news would be presented.

Asked whether this would have spillover effects on Cebu, Tan said he did not think so.

“What I see (affected) would be those international flights that have made Davao their Mindanao hub,” he said.

Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) President Melanie Ng, on the other hand, said that the state of lawless violence was declared only as a security measure.

“In light of what happened, this is a precautionary measure to secure and protect the people,” she said.

Following the blast in a Davao City night market on Friday, President Rodrigo Duterte early Saturday declared “a state of lawlessness” or “a state of lawless violence” to counter terrorism and strengthen the campaign against illegal drug trade.

This would mean more soldiers and policemen will be deployed, government will set up more checkpoints and impose, if needed, curfews in certain areas.