Surigaonon business leader named to Minda

Johann Jake Miranda
Photo credit: pcavelino

A business leader of Surigao City, a small third class city in at the northeastern tip of Mindanao has been named by President Benigno S. Aquino III as the representative of all businessmen at the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).

Johann Jake Miranda, 36 years old, is currently the president of the Surigao Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) which is the leading business organization in the city. Miranda is expected to bring forth the voices of all businessmen and private corporations of the six regions in Mindanao; region 9, 10, 11, 12, Caraga and ARMM.

Surigao City, which belongs to the Caraga region, is emerging as the premier mining city in the country. All major mining corporations operate one or two mining sites in this mineral rich corner of Mindanao. However, Caraga Region as a whole remains as the second poorest region in the county next only to impoverished and war-stricken Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.

Sec. Lualhati Antonino, Chairperson of the MinDA recognized Mr. Miranda's proven leadership and vigorous desire to help uplift the economic conditions of Caraga Region. She added that Mr. Miranda can very well contribute to the President's developmental agenda for Mindanao such as pushing for public-private partnership at all levels.

The feats of Mr. Miranda has also earned him the support of local business players particularly from the small and medium enterprise. His appointment was also supported by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry national leadership.

This is a new tack of the Aquino presidency to give the smaller cities in the country a voice in national development. Caraga which can now be represented by Mr. Miranda at MinDA will be the proper poverty index on which to measure any success of the Aquino government and private sector efforts on socio-economic development.

While president of SCCI, Mr. Miranda garnered for the SCCI the Most Outstanding Chamber Award for three straight years from 2008 to 2010. Earlier in 2007, Surigao was hailed as the Most Business friendly City in Mindanao.

Mr. Miranda was given a citation by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry for organizing the Surigao Young Business Alliance (SYBA), pioneering the conglomeration of a growing organization of young businessmen and professionals under the age of 40 based in Surigao City.

Mr. Miranda is also the chairman of the Surigao Provincial Tourism Development Council. Just recently, Mr. Miranda mourned the passing of his father, Dr. Josefino P. Miranda, also a known socio-civic leader in Surigao, who was buried today in private ceremonies at the family-owned Surigao Memorial Park in Surigao City. (SCCI/PIA-Surigao del Norte)

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