CanCham to unveil business prospects to Cebu members

CEBU, Philippines - The Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (CanCham) will start supporting members of the newly organized Cebu chapter through providing information of financing facilities available to businesses.

CanCham president Julian Payne announced that the organization will be bringing the top executive of Export Development Council—the Exim (Export-Import) Bank of Canada to present to the Cebuano traders opportunities to avail of financial assistance from the Canadian government.

The Exim Bank of Canada, is a government-owned financial institution, which has also offices in other continents, and it maintains it’s Asian headquarter in Singapore.

According to Payne CanCham will be bringing in the senior trade commissioner of the Canadian Embassy to the Philippines, to update Cebuano businessmen of the trade opportunities in Canada, as well as financial support facilities.

Established early this year, the CanCham-Cebu now has over 60 members and is targeting to hit 100 members this year.

Payne said since Cebu has become one of the major revenue contributors of the Philippines, industries should also be given wider perspective in terms of availing financing facilities, as well as get introduced to a lot of opportunities, specifically in Canada.

Payne vowed that through the CanCham Cebu, Cebuano exporters will be well informed what possible financing facilities available to promote exports to Canada from the Philippines.

Aside from the financing aspect, CanCham Cebu is also geared at addressing several problems that are local in nature, however also have national impacts. These are for instance, the concerns on mining, insurance industry, food, telecoms, among others.

Cebuanos who are prominently active in the newly established CanCham Cebu include Canadian Consul Robert Lee, and businessman Jack Gaisano, of the Metro Gaisano chain, and Vicsal Development Corporation.

Recently, CanCham kicked off its first national major advocacy this year, involving already its members of the newly established Cebu Chapter.

The group announced to its over 60 members in Cebu in its call to ask the DA of an effective regulatory framework regarding the Administrative Order (AO-22) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) on frozen meat sales, as it already affects the sales of frozen meat importers.

The AO-22 was issued to address problems within the Philippine retail meat sector mainly wet-markets caused by unscrupulous meat vendors selling “tainted” meat. (FREEMAN)