Foreign investors explore Naga, CamSur opportunities
By Jason B. Neola
As part of Luzon Economic Corridor
ECONOMIST and business leader Ronald “Bong” Rodriguez has accompanied a group of American investors to meetings with Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo and other local chief executives in Camarines Sur towns as they explore investment opportunities and initiatives aimed at promoting the province’s business and tourism industries.
Rodriguez said the investors engaged his services as consultant for projects being considered within what they call the “Luzon Economic Corridor,” a development stretch from Bataan to Batangas. He said he agreed to work with the group on the condition that Camarines Sur and Naga City would also be considered for their investments.
The group that visited the province early this week forms part of an advance party for a larger group of foreign investors expected to visit Naga City and Camarines Sur this current month of October, Rodriguez said.
He said the advance party had already identified several areas as potential investment sites, including portions of Sipocot and the coastal municipality of Siruma, while San Jose in the Partido area also attracted the investors’ attention.
Rodriguez said the proposed projects involve five major business groups that have tapped Waypoint International, a consultancy firm composed of planners, financiers and other experts, to assist them in developing their investment plans.
For Naga City, he said, the investors are looking at manufacturing ventures, while city officials have expressed particular interest in the development of a Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) area. Rodriguez said Mayor Robredo and Reuel Oliver, executive director of the Naga LGU’s Investment and Tourism Promotions Office, discussed the city’s interest in developing the PEZA initiative.
Rodriguez also said he is pushing for the development of the SICAT growth area, which covers Siruma, Calabanga and Tinambac. He said the area could eventually be developed as an integrated tourism destination because of its coastal and other natural attractions.
The investors likewise expressed interest in Sipocot and San Jose, Rodriguez said, adding that he was encouraged by the willingness of the municipal mayors concerned to support the proposed projects without seeking financial contributions or other personal considerations in exchange.
He said the investors were impressed by the potential they saw in Camarines Sur, noting that investment opportunities are not limited to established growth centers such as Subic, Clark and Batangas, where businesses also face greater competition.
As a private-sector facilitator, Rodriguez said he would continue helping potential investors meet and coordinate with local chief executives and other government officials to discuss projects that could contribute to the province’s economic development.
Rodriguez also said the proposed projects have the support of the national government and are covered by cooperation under the Luzon Economic Corridor, a trilateral initiative involving the Philippine, United States and Japanese governments, which he said would provide protection and support for participating investments.
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