Northern Samar Governor Edwin Ongchuan. (File photo)
TACLOBAN CITY – With better infrastructure and the dying threat of the New People’s Army (NPA), Northern Samar province has opened its door to more investors to steer the local economy.
Northern Samar Governor Edwin Ongchuan said in a statement on Thursday the provincial government held the first business conference on June 21, providing a venue for local government officials to discuss business plans and opportunities.
“The conference was a success, with several investors expressing keen interest in investing in the province. Many of them were impressed by the strong commitment of the local government officials to promote economic growth and development in their respective towns,” Onchuan said.
Among the investors present during the conference were Jeffrey Ng, president of Cathay Metal Corporation and Andrew Gotianun III, vice president of Filinvest Development Corp.
During the gathering, town mayors presented their tourism destinations, local products, and other economic potential to attract investments.
John Allen Berbon, Northern Samar provincial information officer, in a phone interview, said the interest of investors is a result of better infrastructure in the province.
“In recent years, the province has invested a lot in connectivity. In fact, we just approved our PHP600 million supplemental budget for the year. All are intended to fund infrastructure projects such as farm-to-market roads, school buildings, and other structures,” Berbon.
Every municipal government has updated their local incentives and investments code with tax holidays, aligning them with the provincial code.
Meanwhile, Ongchua earlier said he is upbeat that the presence of the NPA that has been putting bad image in the province for several years will end soon.
Two NPA guerilla fronts are still operating in the province after the dismantling of two other fronts in 2022 and early of this year.
Maj. Gen. Camilo Ligayo, commander of the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division, also said earlier that infrastructure projects would further boost their campaign to completely wipe out the NPA in Northern Samar.
“I am optimistic that the three brigades with nine battalions deployed here in Samar Island, we can eradicate the communist terrorist group and will soon welcome socio-economic development most especially in the areas which were once exploited by the terrorists,” Ligayo stated. (PNA)
