CEBU, Philippines – The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry is scheduled to conduct trade missions in Turkey and South Africa on October 15 and November 7, respectively, its president said.
“We are aggressive now in promoting trade and investment to the global market,” said CCCI President Ma. Teresa Chan during the chamber’s general membership meeting Friday.
In the past three quarters of this year, Chan said the chamber had also welcomed several groups of businessmen and ambassadors from Japan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, South Africa and Canada.
“Just recently we conducted business forums and networking activities with Turkish and Singaporean businessmen who visited Cebu to explore business possibilities,” Chan added, noting these had, in fact, generated interest from foreign businessmen to invest in Cebu.
For one a Turkish businessman, she revealed, plans to put up a call center in Cebu.
“Another one is looking for a factory site for expansion of his accessories business and another one is into the manufacture of anti-bacterial foot socks using bamboo. And we are surprised to learn that bamboo is abundant in Cebu,” the official shared.
Chan explained Singaporean investors are more interested in joint ventures with local firms here particularly in the information and communications technology-business process management (IT-BPM), food, energy and manufacturing.
Chan said the chamber is looking to widen its partnership and trade ties in the global landscape.