CEBU CITY – Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino, has encouraged Chinese businessmen, especially from Fujian province, to look at Cebu and the rest of the Visayas as a potential site for investment.
“It is hoped that we will continue to maintain the strong friendship and relationship shared by Fujian, the Visayas, and Cebu in particular, in the coming years, just as we have always done for the past decades,” Dino said following the recent governors and mayors' virtual forum of Fujian-Asean Friendship Provinces and Cities Conference.
The event aims to further strengthen the relationship between Fujian province and the Asean cities and provinces. Fujian donated medical face masks to Cebuanos in the early months of the coronavirus pandemic.
Dino also invited Chinese businessmen to invest in Cebu which remains to be free from the African swine fever (ASF) contamination.
“Luckily, Cebu has been spared from contamination of ASF and because of this, Cebu hogs are in high demand. Maybe, Fujian businessmen can explore avenues for investment in the Cebu livestock industry,” Dino said during the forum.
Dino also urged foreign investors to participate in the Build, Build, Build program of the Duterte administration since the infrastructure projects can help stimulate the Visayan economy. He cited the challenge faced by the Visayas due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Cebu is now in control of the virus, and the numbers of positive cases have been decreasing in the entire island. Now, Cebu is the Philippines’ showcase in how to fight against Covid-19,” he said, adding, the national government is now assisting the local governments in Cebu in combating the virus.
“Not only that, but the national government has dispensed funding for the augmentation of medical personnel and increasing isolation facilities in the provinces. Nonetheless, we in the Philippines have always been thankful with the support shown by the Chinese government, especially during these hard times,” Dino said.
He said the pandemic is a challenge that all countries must face together. “Living with the new normal will pose many challenges ahead, especially since the vaccine for the virus might not be accessible at the same time to the entire world population,” he said.
Dino thanked the Fujian government and Beijing for the continued support to the Cebuanos and the Visayas.
“Filipinos share many of their cultural traits with their Asean neighbors, including our brothers and sisters from Fujian, where most Chinese-Filipinos trace their ancestry from, me included. While things may seem difficult now, I believe that the friendship that the Fujian government has always shown to the Visayans and to Cebu will always be maintained,” he said.
Mayors Sara Duterte of Davao City,
Jerry Treñas of Iloilo City, and Jonas Cortes of Mandaue City also attended
the event. (Carlo Lorenciana
and Minerva Newman)
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