GENERAL SANTOS CITY (PIA) -- The General Santos City Chamber of Commerce, Inc. (GSCCCI) has reiterated its commitment to help the government revitalize the business landscape in the city.

During its General Membership Meeting and Induction at the Greenleaf Hotel recently, newly elected GSCCCI President Miguel Rene Dominguez emphasized the Chamber’s dedication to usher in economic prosperity into the city, highlighting the value of cooperation between the public and private sectors in promoting “efficiency, competence, and productivity.”

He also reflected on the accomplishments of past visionary leaders who laid the groundwork for progress in the city and even the entire Soccsksargen region.

Dominguez, a former governor of Sarangani and now director of Alsons Development and Investment Corporation, recalled the city as a livestock industry leader, attributing its growth to “deliberate but careful” planning by its leaders.

“It was not too long ago… Gensan used to lead in the livestock industries, where our parents and grandparents used to sell the cattle and hogs through Lion’s Beach onto barges. Many of us can remember when tuna was being unloaded at Lion’s Beach, put on a truck, and shipped to Davao because there weren’t any flights. That time, our flights were through Cebu before going to Manila,” Dominguez recounted.

The new GSCCCI president went on to remind local officials to try to resolve smaller issues first before they become bigger problems, saying that “we can’t blame the national government, because everything starts from your barangay, everything starts from your city.”

Dominguez, the first Jesse Robredo Leadership awardee in 2013, said that his recent meeting with General Santos City Mayor Lorelie Geronimo-Pacquiao resulted in the initiation of a "green lane" to streamline communication between the Chamber and the city government.

"We asked, can the Chamber be given a green lane where concerns can be brought forward to our executive director and our trustees on your behalf as industry players?" Dominguez said, relaying the response of Mayor Pacquiao as a resounding "yes."

On February 23, 2023, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order No. 18, directing all concerned national government agencies and their regional and provincial offices, as well as government-owned or controlled corporations, including local government units, to establish a “green lane” to encourage strategic investments in the country. 

Dominguez also emphasized the need for all business sectors to get actively involved, pointing out that the “best advocates and ambassadors of the city are the business owners themselves, who will give confidence to other businessmen to come in.”

He said the Chamber, under his leadership, is determined to make General Santos a recognized investment destination not just locally but internationally, as he stressed that collaboration between government and businesses is crucial for job creation.

“When we talk about job generation, there are only two sources of job generation, not through livelihood. It is through government spending—making sure that your government and your district are efficient in spending on investments—that creates employment. And employment will create markets for all,” he said, emphasizing the need for industries to be future-ready while also equipping the younger generation with the right skills to compete.

Echoing what people have in mind, Dominguez said that they want their Chamber “to pioneer, lead, and trailblaze, just as [their] pioneers 70 years ago trailblazed into the new area of General Santos, seeking better opportunities.”

Meanwhile, General Santos City Rep. Loreto Acharon lauded the Chamber as the "motocross driver of the economic engine," citing its significant role during the COVID-19 pandemic in collaboration with the city government and emphasizing the “symbiotic relationship” between the government and the business sector.

Acharon committed to working closely with the Chamber to foster “innovation and collaboration,” as he shared some of his accomplishments in Congress, such as Republic Act 11962, or the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Plan (TBP), and Republic Act 11956, or the Estate Tax Amnesty Act, which he described as a testament to the government's commitment to fuel economic growth and progress, especially in the countryside.

Other newly inducted officers of the GSCCCI include Engr. Eusebio Baladiang Jr., vice president; Ronald Velasquez, secretary; Hermon Hernandez, assistant secretary; Maria Theresa Pacheco, treasurer; Leomabell Velandria, auditor; and Atty. Rabmor Bartolome, public information officer.

The Chamber also inducted into office the new Board of Directors: Fabian Sinamban, Engr. Raymund Salangsang, Geronimo Desesto, Ma. Dulce Amor Sexcion-Kabatay, Wilfredo Royeca, Richard Roy Chua, Benjamin Garcia, Atty. Raul Josefino Miguel, Elmer Catulpos, Shui Lam Chan, and Benny Claudio.

“The role of your Chamber today is to advocate and find out what policies need to be amended, especially with Congressman Acharon needing to amend many of our provisions of the Constitution, [which] is in fact extremely necessary for us to be competitive worldwide,” Dominguez told GSCCCI and local officials, guests, and other stakeholders attending the event. (HJPF/CT Apelacio – PIA SarGen)