Arroyo: Cebu ecozone bid viable

While President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo believes the viability of the Cebu province-wide economic zone proposal, she said the realization of the project would largely depend on the Congressmen supporting it.

“It’s a viable proposal. But its up to the Congress,” the President said in an interview adding that if all of them [Cebuano Congressmen] are supporting for the project, there is a good possibility that it could get through the Congress.

However, Arroyo tried not to elaborate whether she favors the said proposal, which is initiated by the private-sector in Cebu, reiterating that the success of the proposal is in the hands of the Congressmen.

Cebuano Congressmen that recently filed the House Bill No. 1319 include Tony Cuenco, Red Durano, Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, Eduardo Gullas, Benhur Salimbangon, Raul del Mar, Pablo John Garcia, and Pablo Garcia.

The Bill proposed the legislation that establishes the Cebu Economic Development Zone (CEDZ) covering all the cities and municipalities of Cebu province, and the creation of Cebu Economic Development Zone Authority, as well as provision of appropriate funding requirements.

The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) Ecozone Study Group fleshed out its concept of a private sector led, province-wide special economic zone that would serve as a pilot project for sub-national business environment reforms and that would be independent of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), and Bureau of Investments (BOI), and other government-led incentive giving bodies.

This first-of-a-kind initiative to be done in the Philippines aims to harness the resources of the entire Cebu Island, which possesses all the economic ingredients and qualifications of a viable economic zone, and as a pilot area for sub-national business environment reforms.