PCCI President optimistic on PBBM SONA but hopes more to be done on agriculture industry

PANGLAO, Tagbilaran – The President of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), George Barcelon, has expressed optimism about the recent State of the Nation’s Address (SONA) of the current government, but he hopes that the administration will do more in the agriculture industry.

Barcelon was at the Bellevue Pavillion Friday to grace the 32nd Visayas Area Business Conference (VABC) of the PCCI-Visayas. This year’s theme is Exploring New Economic Frontiers in Technology, Governance, and Innovation.

President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr gave his SONA on July 24.

“The president, who is also the secretary of agriculture, has shared with us some of the accomplishments in agriculture in a short time, in one year, that he has been able to achieve. He mentioned water resource management, which is very important, both to agriculture and industrial requirements, and climate change with El Niño in which we expect less water, less rain. It is really something to address,” he said.

Barcelon also mentioned Marcos plan to study soil management to know which areas are arable.

“One of the key areas where we are concerned is because of the inflationary effect when we have to import most of our food requirements,” he added.

He also urged President Marcos to liberalize the agriculture sector, such as expanding the area that allows farmers to tilt. “As of now, the law is still five hectares, and we are advocating to expand to at least 24 hectares.”

Aside from agriculture, other concerns that were discussed during the two-day business conference were digital connectivity, crowdfunding, power, and tourism.

Atty. Jobert Penaflorida, PCCI Governor for Western Visayas, said that he is proposing to the government the establishment of the promotion of tourism in the Visayas as a whole.

According to the organizers, some 250 businessmen from regions 6, 7, and 8 attended the said conference.