Return to Manila, Isko urges traders

MANILA, Philippines — Mayor Isko Moreno on Friday urged business owners who left Manila prior to his administration to return and do business in the city anew.

He assured them that under his leadership, they will have certainty and stability while doing business in Manila.

“I asked the businessmen to trust the city of Manila again and those who are still here to remain,” Moreno said during the opening of the Coca-Cola distribution center in Manila.

He hinted that another big company is returning to Intramuros after leaving the city due to differences with the previous administration.

Moreno also urged business owners who chose Manila as their base to consider hiring the city’s citizens.

About 1,000 businesses have been registered with the city during the first three weeks of the year, he said, noting that if each business hired one resident, there would be 1,0000 jobs for citizens of Manila.

“We are optimistic that one way or another, businesses will bounce back or flourish because there is nowhere else to go, we’re already down,” Moreno said.

He said that amid the pandemic he had taken all the measures that will protect the business sector through tax discounts and incentives.

Moreno said he also wants to ensure the health of workers by including them in the priority list of the city government’s COVID-19 vaccination program.