Bulacan traders call for unity to push dev’t projects

MALOLOS CITY – Bulacan businessmen sounded off the call for unity among elected officials in the province to transcend partisan politics in order to implement development projects that will boost local economy.

The call came in the form of a four-page resolution signed by local industry leaders at the conclusion of the two-day First Bulacan Business Conference here on Friday spearheaded by the Bulacan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI).

“This is the voice of Bulacan businessmen and we are only sounding it off for our local political leaders to fully understand that public-private partnership is the key in boosting local economic development,” said Felix Domigpe, chairman of the BCCI.

Domigpe hinted that the active participation of the micro and small entrepreneurs especially the public market retailers in the two-day conference was a healthy sign that entrepreneurs in the province hailed the BCCI activity.

“We are glad because they are finally organized and very vocal of their concerns,” he said referring to the public markets retailers, who, along with livestock raisers, tourism industry officials represented by resort owners and operators voiced their concerns.

Based on the four-page resolution, the newly formed Federation of Bulacan Public Market Association (FBPMA) led by Gilbert Angeles called on the local government units to review rates of business permits collected from their ranks saying that license fees’ computation based on gross sales of low mark up businesses is clearly onerous.

They asked for simplified and standardized processing of business permits, protection from harassments, enforcement of anti-smuggling laws to prevent entry of raw meats from other countries, and improve physical facilities of public markets including sewer system and parking spaces for customers and delivery vehicles.

For their part, the Bulacan Livestock Producers Integrated Group that produces at least 60 percent of meat requirements for Metro Manila, asked the government to formulate and implement an indemnification program for hog raisers to cushion the impact of losses from disease outbreaks like hog cholera and swine flu that hit Bulacan and other provinces of Central Luzon last year.

They also aired their concerns for the provision of safety net components like tax incentive and financing package to enhance the industry’s viability and competitiveness.

The BLPIG said there is a need to establish a local livestock laboratory with quality control unit in the province for research and development that will improve the sector’s competitiveness.

For local tourism, the Bulacan Tourism Council called for one stop tourism investment and business center, synergized efforts for local government units to promote the province’s tourist havens, improvement of road access to tourism destinations.

The BTC also asked for the encouragement of new investments by providing special incentives for tourism and legislative support for the preservation of heritage sites like century old houses, churches, and the conservation of ecological and nature site like river systems, caves and parks.

For the concerns of the entire business sector in the province, the BCCI called for the rationalization of the entry of big business in Bulacan like mall constructions, sustain vigilance of law enforcement to safeguard peace and order, improve traffic situations, and the creation of business registry data bank in every LGU with the goal of establishing consolidated repository of data on enterprises that will help in crafting business friendly policies.