Business group: Tacloban in 'complete chaos'
Sergio Luiz Ortiz, chairman of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the "complete chaos" in the area has driven most of the business people out of the city and trooped to Cebu.
"This is just a report from the Chamber officers and Vice President from Cebu...they are afraid because there are organized armed group going around the city...They'd rather be there (Cebu) and suffer some losses than endanger the lives of their families," Ortiz told a media forum in Greenhills, San Juan City.He added that virtually all business establishments in the city have been closed or abandoned by their owners who have relocated to Cebu.
"There’s hardly any business now...walang customers dun," Ortiz said.
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Ortiz, however, called on the businessmen and other affluent people to return to Tacloban City as soon as situation on the ground normalizes.
He appealed to the "people of means" to bring back businesses in Tacloban as long as the government can assure their safety and security to do business again in the area.Quoting a foreign news report, Ortiz said the extent of damage of the super typhoon Yolanda to Tacloban and other affected areas would be a staggering $15 billion.
He advised other businessmen who have investments in the sugar mills in these typhoon-hit areas to look into venturing into other products.Despite the devastation brought by Yolanda, Ortiz said he remains hopeful that there is still something good in the situation.
"There are still bright effects as it happened in earthquakes in Bohol. They thought the tourism industry would die but they have developed the ruins and developed it as a process of recovering," he said.
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