Bizmen to tackle economics, politics with presidentiables

CEBU, Philippines – At least 200 businessmen from 14 business clubs all over the country will converge in Cebu this coming June 11 to meet with three 2010 presidentiables in a one-day conference that will tackle problems in politics and economy.

The Cebu Business Club and Makati Business Club are jointly organizing the first Conference of Independent Business Clubs all over the country.

The country’s business sector will present the economic roadmap drafted by three recognized economists in the Philippines, Dante Canlas, Benjamin E. Diokno and Felipe M. Medalla.

Presidentiables Mar Roxas, Francis Joseph G. Escudero and Gilbert Teodoro Jr., will be the main guests during the event to be held at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel Cebu.

The event, which will carry the theme “Facing old challenges, Forging new Engagements,” will also discuss the obvious perennial problem of the country like reforming the budget process, education reform, key challenges for a progressive Philippines, view of the foreign investor, and transparency and governance.

“We are trying to start working together to give the message across,” said Cebu Business Club (CBC) president Dondi Joseph.

Inviting the 2010 presidentiables will provide a glimpse of where the country is headed and what the future leaders will bring to their “seats” in order to cure the economic, as well as political diseases of the Philippines that have further pulled down its competitiveness.

Joseph stressed that the business sector in the Philippines, through the leadership of the Makati Business Club has always been apolitical and inviting these presidentiables does not mean pushing for a certain candidate.

The roadmap created by the three economists, which is a response to the government’s 2010 roadmap, will be the main point of discussion during the dialogue with the presidentiables, Joseph said.

After the conference, the group will also draft an official position paper of the nationwide business community. Outcome of the Conference on concerns, and pressing issues that need immediate concern will be collated and drafted to an official statement, Joseph said.

In the next few months, CBC and other 14 business Clubs around the country will be conducting series of dialogues with other presidentiables, and will hopefully present the group’s resolution, and also the roadmap.

“The Philippines is at an exciting time right now,” Joseph said emphasizing that although the country is not badly affected (except for some sectors) by the global meltdown, “it does not mean we should be complacent.”

The bottomline, which is also the battlecry of other sectors, is the alleviation of poverty. Although this is already a “motherhood statement”, the business sector hopes to present more concrete suggestions to the government, and future leaders on how to effectively address problems that hamper economic growth of the country.

Private sector and political personalities are expected to attend the conference, like Peter Wallace, president of Wallace Business Forum, Jose Cuisia Jr., chairman of Coalition Against Corruption, Ramon Del Rosario Jr., chairman Makati Business Club, and legislator Teofisto Guingona III, among others.

Aside from the business clubs, like ARMM Business Club, Davao City Business Club, Iloilo Business Club, Iligan Bay Business Club, other major business organizations like the American Chamber of Commerce and the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (ECCP) will also join the event.

Although the month of June has been declared as the business month in Cebu initiated by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), Joseph said that the one-day event on the 11th is not going to complicate with the activities of the Cebu Business Month (CBM 2009).