Wednesday, July 31, 2019
BY CARLA P. GOMEZ

Former Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, provincial consultant on economic affairs, vowed yesterday to take Negros Occidental to the doorsteps of investors to draw high impact investments that will really be felt by Negrenses.

Benitez said his goal is to draw “champions” of respective businesses to Negros Occidental to make it a premier province and a force to reckon with.

The former congressman presented his plans on the promotion of the province as an investment and tourism destination before the members of the Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan during their regular session yesterday afternoon.

He also recommended that former Deputy House Speaker Mercedes Alvarez of the sixth district also be appointed by the provincial government as a consultant on economic affairs to help focus on the needs of southern Negros, since he is from the north.

Alvarez has agreed to work for the province for the same fee that he will be receiving, which is P1 a month, he said.

Benitez noted that the Negros Occidental provincial government has P1 billion in investments in the Mambukal Mountain Resort, Negros First Hostel, the Food Terminal and Negros First CyberCentre that are supposed to spur economic activity and provide much needed income for the province.

“At this point we have just initially started and are still in the recovery stage,” he said, adding that it his job to ensure that income materializes.

Benitez said investments in Negros Occidental were P4.4 billion in 2017, P3.8 billion in 2017 and P1.7 billion in 2018, that will serve as a benchmark to surpass, he said.

He also noted that investments in Bacolod were P1.9 billion in 2016, P2 billion in 2017 and P2.7 billion in 2018, with many that were provincial government generated. Benitez said the goal now is to bring investments outside Bacolod to ensure growth in various parts of Negros Occidental.

“Previously we were very passive as far as investors wereconcerned, we waited for investors to come to the doorsteps of the province.

We would like to reverse that and instead bring the province to the doorsteps of investors,” he said. His contribution will be to provide linkages to local and international investors, Benitez said.

There are a lot of doors that can be opened, we will be going on roadshows, we will be bringing the province of Negros Occidental to interested investors, he said.

“We have to be proactive if we want to be competitive,” he said.

Benitez said endeavors in the past have been mostly on small and medium enterprises,“which we feel will probably have an impact in the long run.”

What he is aiming for now are high impact investments so that the province will really feel the effect of these investors, Benitez said.

To induce investments and promote sustainability, Benitez stressed the need for the province to focus on infrastructure. If seaports, airports, highways and digital highways are in place, these will spur tremendous economic development in Negros Occidental, he said.

He pointed out that a quick fix solution for the province is tourism that is also one of the more inclusive industries because it benefits everyone.

Benitez, who has also been meeting with the business community, said he will return to the SP to submit a proper detailed master plan.

Negros Occidental is a great province, it has the capability to fly and soar, we just have to get our acts together, he told the SP members.

Benitez also plans to float One Visayas Bonds in collaboration with other Visayan provinces to help generate more income.

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said if the national government implements a Supreme Court ruling that local government units are entitled to new and bigger  Internal Revenue Allotment shares, Negros Occidental would get more than P1 billion in additional funds.

The SC ruled that this will take effect in 2022 but Lacson said local government officials are pushing that it be implemented as early as this year or by 2020.

If that happens, maybe we would not even have to float bonds, he said.

However, if it is implemented in 2022 the floating of bonds may be needed, Lacson said.

The Negros Occidental SP, on motion of Board Member Sixto “Pal” Guanzon Jr., passed a resolution expressing support and appreciation to Benitez for working as consultant of the province for a fee of P1 a month.

Negros Occidental Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer said Benitez’s effort at drawing investments to boost the development of the province is a welcome move.*