MCCI eyeing partnerships with ASEAN biz groups

CEBU, Philippines - As the ASEAN integration officially takes place next year, the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry is bent on forging strong trade partnerships with the other business chambers in the region.

MCCI vice president for external affairs Carmel Salvador said that while MCCI has already signed partnership deals with other countries such as Turkey, the focus in 2015 will be on strengthening connections within the ASEAN region.

Salvador said this will be one of the priorities of the chamber in 2015 saying this initiative will reinforce the members’ own plan to partner with different industry players in the bloc.

Already, the Small and Medium Enterprises  are told to change the way they do business in the face of a regional economic integration and adopt an inclusive "coopetition" in order to strongly gain access to the 600 million consumer base un the ASEAN market.

The country's top economist and USAID head for trade related assistance and development Cielito Habito earlier told businessmen in Cebu including members of the MCCI, that a change in mindset should be adopted in order to engage in the ASEAN. Clustering among SMES, cooperation instead of competition should be instilled coupled with team-up, are the main tools in order to gain hold in the ASEAN market.

Habito, who once led the National Economic and Development Authority, said that businesses should not be overwhelmed of the country's readiness to the ASEAN integration, as it has already done its part in readying the Philippines for the integration.

In fact, he said the "buzzword" now is no longer "readiness" to the ASEAN, but "what we should be talking about is--if we are [already] strong enough to face it."

While regional partnership is encouraged, Filipino companies particularly the SME sector should join hands together by way of cooperation, clustering to guard its 100 million consumer-based in the Philippines, at the same time grab large chunk of the 600 million consumers within the ASEAN bloc.

Professionalizing financial and overall management is a must now for SMEs, he said adding that along with embracing the global standard for business operation, SMEs should shun from "kanya-kanya" attitude, but embrace clustering and "coopetition" culture.

He also urged SMES, which comprises over 90 percent of the Philippine business profile across industries, to study the opportunities in doing businesses within or outside ASEAN--the Free Trade Agreements that the Philippines has entered in, and avail of the duty free privileges.  (FREEMAN)