Cebu business leaders meet fair organizers

CEBU CITY, Philippines - A Mandaue City official gathered together representatives from the province’s different business chambers in an effort to promote the different products and services available in Cebu to Sabah, Malaysia. Mandaue City Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna said there is nothing political with him sitting as chairman of the Cebu roadshow for the Sabah International Expo 2008 (SIE). “I was just lucky that I got to meet the chairman (of SIE) when I was in China last year," Fortuna told Sun.Star Cebu during the pre-meeting dinner hosted by the SIE delegates Thursday night at Ching Palace. Last July, Fortuna was in Shenzen to sign an agreement signifying open sister city relations between Mandaue City and Shenzen. Officers and representatives from the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Cebu Investment Promotions Center and the Long Mai Chamber of Commerce and Industry were first to meet the Sabah delegation headed by Datuk Wong Khen Thau. For the Cebu leg of the roadshow, the Sabah delegates will be meeting with government leaders in Mandaue City, Cebu City and the Cebu Province, as well as the different leaders in the business sector. Fortuna said Cebu’s tourism, agricultural and manufacturing sectors can be a good market for Sabah. He said he also promoted the Cebu Business Month as Cebu’s biggest trade conference to the Sabah delegation. Wong told the group that the Mindanao chamber has been participating in the SIE for the last three or four years. He said it is time for the SIE to create a formal link with Cebu. “We’ll take good care of you," said Wong after inviting the representatives of the different chambers to join the SIE 2008. SIE is a multi-sectoral expo attended by over 30 countries, including the United States and United Kingdom. Wong said that among the topics to be discussed during the international business conference on October is about global warming and climate change. MCCI president Eric Ng Mendoza said that he still could not say right now if his group is going to send participants to the SIE in October. But he believes that the SIE will be a good venue for the Cebu business sector to start taking advantage of trade opportunities in neighboring countries. “The intention of them (Sabah delegation) coming over is to invite us and it is not just a good example, but it also shows the oneness of the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region," Mendoza said. MCCI is also hosting today’s sales blitz at the Chikaan restaurant. Mendoza said that after the meeting, he will be able to decide on what kind of support the MCCI can extend to SIE. Mendoza also considers Mandaue, being the industrial pot of the province, to learn new methods in manufacturing from SIE. - Sun.Star Cebu