Investment forum aims to boost economic recovery hike in Iloilo

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

 

A “hybrid” economic investment forum in Iloilo City on Dec. 9-10, 2020 will seek to ramp up the economic recovery of the city and province of Iloilo from the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on businesses and jobs.

The Iloilo Investment Forum 2020 is a free event which will be held in a hotel in Iloilo City and will also be streamed via Zoom and Facebook.

The forum will involve national and local leaders in business and government sectors, as well as industry experts, covering the areas of agriculture, tourism, and digital economy, among others.

According to a press release, this event is designed to show Iloilo’s various potentials for agribusiness investments.

Terence Uygongco, chairperson of the Iloilo Economic Development Foundation, one of the main organizers of the event, said that Iloilo’s economic transformation towards resilience is “imperative”.

“Reimagining Iloilo’s next economy and transforming it into a resilient sector is now an imperative. There is no other time to align the local economy back on its high-growth track than today,” said Uygongco in a press statement.

Uygongco added that the city and the province possess the “new thinking” pushed by the national government in agricultural development.

He emphasized the focus coming from advancing specific crops towards overall wellness of the rural sector in terms of resilience, competitiveness, and sustainability.

“This new thinking is expected to be spotlighted in the Iloilo Investment Forum 2020 considering our vibrant rural economy. Iloilo’s exemplary quality of place makes it as an ideal environment to start, recover, and grow business,” Uygongco shared.

The forum is the first in a three-part series planned by ILEDF, with the second part comprising of business meetings between the first two months of 2021, and the third part being an International Investment Forum in March 2021.

The Iloilo Investment Forum 2020 is co-organized with the Iloilo Provincial Government, the Iloilo City Government, and in collaboration with the regional offices of the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Trade and Industry, and the Department of Tourism.