BACOLOD CITY — About 30 exhibitors are featured in the 2018 Negros Business Week, which opened at Robinsons Place Bacolod on Monday.
Organized by the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI), the event, now on its ninth edition, is themed “Government and Business: Partnering for Growth and Development.”
Most of the exhibitors are from localities outside Bacolod City, including those assisted by about 10 local government units.
MBCCI chief executive officer Frank Carbon said they aim to assist small businesses from the rural areas through exposure to the city or urban market.
There is a need to develop the rural areas by supporting small businesses, he said, adding that it would also provide them the opportunity to tap potential bigger markets.
Participating entrepreneurs can also avail of consultations with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Trade Industry (DTI) and other government agencies.
Carbon said the MBCCI is giving importance to “blue collar” entrepreneurs in this year’s Negros Business Week to encourage livelihood and employment opportunities in the rural areas while waiting for investments to come.
The annual event, conducted every second week of July as provided in a provincial ordinance, is spearheaded by the MBCCI and the Provincial Government in collaboration with government agencies such as the DOST and DTI.
Meanwhile, the MBCCI also launched the magazine “Rediscovering Negros” during the event’s opening rites.
The bi-annual publication will feature the chamber’s activities, projects, and sites in Negros, which may have been ignored or forgotten for sometime.
These still have value and offer some excitement, Carbon said, adding that this is one of their initiatives to promote Negros Island and encourage more visits and investments.
“This digest will open the eyes of Negrenses and other people to the new marvels of Negros,” Carbon said.
The magazine contains photo essays and will just serve as a “teaser” while a detailed content will be made available online or through its digital version, the business leader added. (Erwin Nicavera/PNA)