Surigao City Hosts 14th CARAGA BUSINESS CONFERENCE

Surigao City, Surigao del Norte - The City and Provincial Government of Surigao, and the Surigao Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry will be hosting this year’s 14th CARAGA BUSINESS CONFERENCE on November 28, 2008 at Hotel Tavern Surigao, Surigao City. The said gathering will bring together the business executives, political leaders and decision makers, and Philippine Chamber of Commerce officers in a day of unity for all Caraganons.

This year’s theme, “Uniting Caraga in These Testing Times”, fosters a challenge to both the public and private sector to enjoin efforts in advancing partnerships in the region during an impending economic crisis in 2009. Main topics are resolving tax-related issues with the Bureau of Internal Revenue and cementing relationships with local government units and their counterpart business community.

Johann Jake B. Miranda, President of the SCCI, said the region-wide business conference normally held before the national Philippine Business Conference in Manila was fittingly held this time in November since the nation is facing a wave of economic crisis in 2009. Appropriately, the highlights of the just concluded 34th Philippine Business Conference (PBC) held last October 20-22, 2008 in Manila, will be disseminated to the conference participants.

To ensure participation from the local government units, the conference organizers sought the assistance of DILG Secretary Ronaldo V. Puno to urge local government officials to join in this undertaking as public-private partnerships will be forged and sealed with a Memorandum of Understanding between each LGU and its corresponding business community.

After this one day conference, participants will visit Dinagat Island the next day for a tour of San Jose, its municipal capital, to showcase the tourism potentials and investment opportunities of the province.

Caraga is composed of the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur and the newly-created province of Dinagat Islands. The cities of Butuan, Surigao, Bislig, Cabadbaran, Bayugan and the municipalities of Cantilan, Bayugan, Prosperidad, San Francisco and San Jose will be represented by their local officials and business chambers.

According to the National Statistical Coordinating Board (NSCB), Caraga belongs to the poorest of the poor regions and it’s economy still lags behind those of other regions. Caraga is largely dependent on logging and mining operations. (Surigao CCI)

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