CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga (PIA) -- Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) continues to promote Central Luzon to more investors amid the pandemic. 
 
DTI Region 3 Institutional Development Division Chief Racquel Malig said they continue to partner with local government units to ensure the competitiveness of different cities and municipalities in the region. 
 
“We have to make it comfortable for potential investors, both foreign and local, in terms of registration and other documentary requirements. We have to continuously advocate ease of doing business so that we can attract more investors,” she said. 
 
Malig added that the DTI continues to capacitate provincial governments, through their respective investment promotions officers, because they serve as frontline agents who market the region to different investors and partners.
 
For her part, DTI Regional Director Leonila Baluyut said the different provinces of the region are now focused on preparatory stage in updating databases related to investment.
 
“We have the Central Luzon Growth Corridor Foundation and we work with the organization to update cost of doing business and other data gathering needed by the investors. This is to ensure that we are ready to accept potential investors even while we are in the middle of a pandemic,” she said.
 
Baluyut added that DTI provincial offices are assisting their provinces in terms of updating their investment and incentives code to suit the present situation.
 
The director added that they are also trying to identify industry gaps and solicit feedback from investors on how to address these.
 
“For example, when it comes to agribusiness, some of our DTI offices identify idle lands in coordination with the local government. They are also formulating skills registry map and match these with investors so that they can develop a human resource pool to support the industry requirement,” she said.
 
Meanwhile, DTI also continues to aid the six priority industry clusters in Central Luzon including bamboo, cacao, coco coir, coffee, processed fruits and nuts, and wearable and homestyles by helping them localize roadmap goals and strategies, as well as establish and strengthen local councils.
 
As of June 2021, DTI has assisted 41 investors under the priority cluster. This is 158 percent more than its target of 26 investors.
 
In terms of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) under the priority industries, DTI was able to assist 9,429 MSMEs, or 105% more than its target of 8,946 for the first semester. (CLJD/MJSC-PIA 3)