Negros Oriental’s Chamber of Commerce & Industry is on a roll. After winning the Most Outstanding Chamber of Commerce Awards in the Visayas and in the Philippines for two consecutive years, the NOCCI was awarded Thursday as this year’s Most Outstanding Chamber in the Asia-Pacific.
The Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CACCI) conferred the Asia-Pacific’s most prestigious award to NOCCI for its outstanding achievement in promoting the industrial, commercial, and social well-being of the region.
The awarding coincided with CACCI’s 30th conference held Nov. 23-25 in Taipei, Taiwan.
NOCCI President Edward Du said the Negros Oriental Chamber bested nine other finalists from the Asia-Pacific region, including two chambers from the Philippines.
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Manila nominated NOCCI to represent the country last October after garnering the coveted national awards for the second straight year.
John Jalandoni, NOCCI executive director, said he and the NOCCI President took turns presenting to the CACCI in Taipei their accomplishments from January to December 2015 in the areas of policy advocacies, training programs for its members, services for the community, market linkages and trade fairs; trade missions, investment fairs and conferences, and participation in CACCI events.
Jalandoni said the NOCCI has initiated policy initiatives relating to energy/power/water; ease of doing business, education, the environment, tourism and retirement, legislative agenda, the ASEAN Integration, infrastructure, taxation, and jobs generation.
They have also provided support for the development of micro-small-medium enterprises through food safety trainings, good agricultural practices, skills trainings on food processing, and various management and financial seminars.
“NOCCI has also promoted the concept of inclusive growth and local economic development through investment promotions done with the Negros Oriental Investment Promotion Center, and the Negros Oriental Business Development Foundation,” said Jalandoni.
He said the Chamber, which is marking its 25th year, has also partnered with the province of Negros Oriental, the cities of Dumaguete, Bais, Tanjay, and Bayawan; the town of Dauin, Amlan and Manjuyod; national agencies like the Department of Trade & Industry, the Department of Tourism, the Department of Interior & Local Government; and the Canadian government through the Local Government Support Program for Local Economic Development.
The local Chamber also reported their support for local producers and exporters, benefitting more than 1,000 farmers of coconuts, sugarcane, fruits and vegetables.
Also in 2015, Jalandoni said, the Chamber was able to organize the Visayas Area Business Conference & Investment Fair in Dumaguete, an International Business Conference & Business-Matching with South Korea and Alameda City in California, US; a Trade Investment & Tourism Mission to Labuan in Malaysia and to Brunei Darussalam.
“It took me about two weeks to prepare the 75-slide presentation to encapsulate our major accomplishments in 2015, and only 15 minutes to actually present it to CACCI,” Jalandoni recalled.
Next year, NOCCI will represent the Asia-Pacific region in the World Chamber Awards competition to be held in Sydney, Australia. (IFBP/with reports from JFP)
