Surigao Chamber Wins Again as 2009 Best Chamber in Mindanao at the 35th Philippine Business Conference

For a second year in a row, the Surigao Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. was hailed the Most Outstanding Chamber in Mindanao for 2009. The award was given by no less than Her Excellency, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, during the concluding plenary of the 35th Philippine Business Conference (PBC) held last October 21, 2009 at the Fiesta Pavilion of the Manila Hotel, City of Manila. The PBC is the country’s largest and most important business gathering, attended by over 3,000 local and foreign businessmen and government officials.

The award is the second of its kind for the chamber leading the way for the other 38 business chambers in Mindanao, the largest geographical group in the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Last year it won Most Outstanding Chamber for Mindanao for its exemplary performance in training entrepreneurs. Overall there are 107 chambers in the country representing more than 20,000 companies and millions of employees.

In the 2007 PBC, the Surigao CCI also received a special award for Membership Development and Entrepreneurship for its unique Surigao Young Business Alliance (SYBA) concept of recruiting the sons and daughters of its members as its second generation leaders as well as to pool young professionals and entrepreneurs in Surigao City.

The award came after thorough grilling by a panel of judges from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, consultants and national agencies done last October 12, 2009 at New World Hotel, Makati City. Mr. Miranda presented Surigao CCI’s efforts to improve the business growth of the Surigao community with its dynamic leadership, innovative services to its members and active participation in business activities.

Mr. Miranda, said “The key to a city’s success lies in its private sector especially the businessmen who have the logistics to lead the way for rapid economic growth and set high standards of performance for local government officials. This is why business chambers exist-they gather businessmen and unite their advocacies for a coordinated vision of a better city, a better life.” Mr. Miranda, who was once an officer in the Philippine Navy, then further added “Government needs our help, it can’t do the job by its lonesome, so let us continue to support our local business chambers or assist NGOs that help government do its work.”

The PBC awards are regarded as the highest recognition of achievements granted by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry to both business chambers and their corresponding local government units, and are seen to be important trophies of excellence that will attract more investors to their areas. The other regional winners are Paranaque CCI for National Capital Region, Baguio CCI for Northern Luzon, Metro Naga CCI for Southern Luzon, and Mandaue CCI for Visayas. Metro Naga CCI won the national award following its triumph in 2008 as most outstanding chamber for the whole country.

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