BACOLOD CITY — The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza) has urged investors to develop tourism enterprise zones (TEZs) in Negros Occidental.
There is only a single pending application from Negros Occidental, said TEZ Regulation Department manager Nino Aquino, who led the agency’s investment roadshow at L’Fisher Hotel here on Thursday.
Aquino said the applicant from the province is a developer of a resort-type leisure tourism enterprise in Silay City.
He pointed out that Negros Occidental is a good tourism investment area because it has vast lands potential for real estate developments.
He called on both the government and private sectors to look at these potentials and grab the investment opportunities within the TEZs.
Aquino noted that some owners of sugarcane plantations have considered developing their lands for other sectors like tourism.
“With some problems hounding the sugar industry right now, TEZs will be a good alternative,” he said.
The TEZs are categorized into two — private, and public or flagship zones.
For private TEZs, or areas with private individual owners, the owners present their development plans, which Tieza checks for feasibility and sustainability.
In flagship TEZs, the agency comes up with the master development plan for the areas identified through an inventory created by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and local government units (LGUs).
Aquino said the establishment of TEZs will not only benefit the tourism enterprise itself, but also the community and the nation in general by contributing to inclusive growth.
It helps in the generation of income and employment, he added.
Tieza’s one-day investment roadshow here was held in partnership with the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the DOT Region 6.
The activity introduced TEZ to local stakeholders, especially to the private sector, underscored ways on how to create or designate an area for TEZ, discussed the incentives granted to these zones, and offered investment opportunities for the investors within TEZs.
As a government entity, Tieza is tasked to develop, manage and supervise tourism infrastructure projects nationwide as well as designates, regulates, and supervises TEZs.(Erwin Nicavera/PNA)
