Going Global

At this point, I want to expand my horizon and want more global interactions, international travel, world knowledge, multicultural food and experiences ... in fact, I want at this very moment the world as my office. The world is such a very interesting place ... I shouldn't be stuck only in the Philippines.... I'd like to be able to freely hop from one place to the next and interact and get to know as many people in different countries.


No wonder I like very much the internet.... it's a virtual way to get connected to the world.

Hmmmm... this could probably a result of being cooped-up too long in this office and looking at endless paper work .... sigh

Increasing Business In Municipalities And Cities

I recently made a speech for my boss. This was presented during a gathering of LGUs in Bohol. I might as well share it with you. Thsi is part of what I usually do at the office ...

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Honorable guests, ladies and gentlemen, Good Morning.

My talk for today will be divided into 2 topics: SMED Plans and BPLS.

In the recent World Competitiveness Survey conducted by the World Bank, the Philippines ranked 126th over 175 countries on the first outcome indicator which is to enable by reforming Business and Investment Enabling Environment (BIEE). For the rest of the indicators the Philippines ranked very low giving the country a bad image.

On closer look at the details, World Bank considered the business registrations facilitated by Law Firms and Accountancy Firms where in most of these are big companies and not MSMEs. The World Bank referred to Manila as the benchmark for their survey in the Philippines.

Due to this condition the Office of the President created a National Competitiveness Council with DTI as member to address this very crucial issue. This same condition showed that there is a need to grow closely together at the local level of the region and at the provincial level to make our efforts united and harmonized.

It is widely accepted that small and medium enterprises or MSMEs play a significant role in the economic and social development of a country since it account for 99.7 percent of total establishments and yet they only employ 70% of the labor force and contribute just 32% to GDP. Possible reasons for this occurrence is that the Philippine SMEs may be regionally and globally uncompetitive, productivity and structural limitations may have prevented SMEs from maximizing their potentials, SMEs may have been facing difficulty accessing funds and that SMEs may have limited knowledge about market opportunities and access.

These are problems that all of us in government need to address immediately in order to attain maximum economic growth.

The Small and Medium Enterprise Development (SMED) Plan 2004-2010 envisions making the SME sector the main protagonist in the country’s quest for economic growth by 2010. Launched in July 2004, the Plan is congruent with the 10-point Agenda of President GMA which seek to increase the number of new SMEs, to graduate SMEs to the next level, to create 6-10 million jobs, to triple loans to SMEs, and to increase the value of SME contribution. To achieve these goals and objectives, the plan outlined eight key strategies aimed at developing the SME sector at the firm and industry level and to improve the SME operational environment. These are: promote international competitiveness, promote expansion / diversification of existing industrial structure, promote expansion of growth industries, provide support for linkages between SMEs and leading Philippine industries, help improve access to financing, streamline programs and incentives, streamline implementation of SME policies and build the capacity of institutions assisting SMEs.

Forty-eight activities were identified to carry out these strategies. Partner agencies consisting of government and non-government institutions were organized into Activity Groups (AGs) in accordance with the nature of assistance they provide to SMEs. The 48 activities were streamlined and reduced to only 12 AGs as similarities in their envisioned deliverables were identified. These AGs include the: SME Information Support, SME Counseling and Advisory and Upgrading of SME Centers, Facilitating Partnership/ Linkages for Competitive Support, Enhanced Support for Trade Fairs and Access to Market Services, Product Development and Design Services, Industry Productivity and Quality, Information Technology Appreciation and Application, Entrepreneurship Training, SME Financing Support Program, Streamlining of Business Registration Requirements, Advocacy of SME Related Laws, and SME Institutions Restructuring.

To advocate support and participation in the implementation of the National and Local SMED Plans countrywide, the Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development (BSMED), as Secretariat to the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Council (SMEDC), proposed the “Harmonization of the National and Local SME Development Plans”. In this undertaking, a regional workshop/focused group discussion, and local/provincial consultation and harmonization workshops were conducted in coordination with the Provincial SMED Councils (PSMEDCs) through the DTI Regional/Provincial Offices. In the conduct of said workshops, a local consultant/facilitator was tapped to facilitate, document and integrate the process to come up with Local SMED Action Plans.

It is a reality that all development efforts in the country are anchored on whoever is the incumbent executive, for the local level the provincial governor, for the cities the municipalities are the mayors and therefore a need to get their buy-ins is a must. We have to be realistic and at the same time practical because it’s a waste to be doing strategies which are not getting the cooperation of our local executives.

Our SME development plan went through a process of harmonization because of the many changes that have happened in our political and economic landscape. The specific objectives of the SMED Harmonization Regional Focus Group Discussion Workshops with Stakeholders were to validate the National SMED Plan results framework, validate the Regional SMED Plan results framework, identify a Portfolio Manager and Portfolio Champion.

The succeeding workshops produced proposed solutions such as (1) promote expansion / diversification of existing industrial structure, (2) promote expansion of growth industries, and (3) provide support for linkages between SMEs and leading Philippine industries that are not at the level of the provinces. The fourth solution is (4) to help improve access to financing needs that need LGU’s full support. It was also proposed that assistance be provided to mezzanine-micro enterprises for them to graduate and become SMEs.

The current SMED Plan goal is for the number of SMEs to increase and to generate 6 – 10 million jobs anchored to the 10 point agenda of PGMA. On the other hand the SMED Plan Strategic Development Goals consist an increase from 32% to 40% SME GVA by 2010; there will be more value and volume of production for priority industries, there will be an annual 16% growth of SME-exports and the number of progressive micro-enterprises increased.

Our MSMEs are facing the challenges of globalization that is why the demand for excellence and efficiency is an urgent reality. Technology is fast improving and expanding in its application to enterprise operational management.
It has been asserted that good governance and accountability are preconditions to successful economic development.

In books and papers on accountability, the concept is tied with being answerable,” “capable of being explained,” and “liable to account.” Further, accountability is identified as the central and perhaps the most powerful element of good governance which relies on clear rules of transparency.

A 2006 survey by the World Bank involving 120 cities and 12,400 firms in China discovered that efforts by local governments to improve the business climate is directly related to progress made in achieving social harmony. And, equally relevant, the study proposed that simplifying business licensing and other start-up procedures could result in significant gains in firm productivity and/or foreign investments. All these ingredients revolve around the concepts of accountability and transparency.

Clearly, local governments have a major role to play in business development, job generation and social harmony. One of the key actions is making it easy for the entry of business players. In this aspect, streamlining business permit and licensing system (BPLS) is at the core, although it is only the first among many reforms that need to be put in place to improve the investment climate.

On February 23, 2007, LGU representatives from four cities and 26 municipalities in Cebu province convened at the Parklane Hotel in Cebu City to come up with strategies to streamline the business permit and licensing system. It was their best shot at identifying major constraints in BPLS as well as the necessary reforms that will simplify business processes.

The exercise proved that there were, indeed, striking differences in the LGUs’ implementation of their respective licensing systems.

Here are slides to show you the typical process flow for registration and renewal of business permits.

It has been observed that the process for applying for a new business permit and renewing old permits are very similar. Old businesses have to go through the same cumbersome process of getting requirements year after year. As reflected in the slides, a new applicant has to go back and forth from the different offices in the LGU to the Treasurer’s Office.

Expectedly, LGUS should make life easy for those applying for a Mayor’s business permit since it is through local taxation that they can boost their local coffers. Yet, it is perhaps the most bureaucratic, graft-ridden, and time-consuming procedure thereby discouraging business owners from acquiring a permit. This has led prospective investors to simply go “underground” and thus deprive the local government of much needed tax revenues.

Over the years, the processing of the Mayor’s Business Permit has somehow advanced from manual to semi-electronic, thereby making the process a bit faster, yet more simplified. It is also in line with the Presidential agenda of creating an enabling environment for business and the Anti-Red Tape Law.

It is important to understand the basic purpose of the business permit.

For new businesses, the main task of the local government is purely regulatory. For renewal of business permits, the LGUs’ primary purpose is revenue collection and the rest of the year is allotted for its regulatory functions.

Processing for a new application for a Mayor’s Business Permit should be fast and simplified to ensure efficiency for both the attending LGU personnel and the applicant. The latter simply has to follow the prescribed procedures.

In the process of modifying the procedure, the LGUs identified the documentary requirements which are absolutely necessary in the processing of the application for a new business permit

The bigger challenges in business registration present themselves when one requirement is made out as a prerequisite for another. It sets off an almost circus-like state of affairs when the business applicant hops from one agency to another and then back again. This is what usually happens when the process involves interfacing among LGUs and NGAs. The LGUs also complain about the many clearances and signatories required by the NGAs.

Interestingly, all this nearly chaotic situation revolves around only two types of business permit applications: new and renewal.

Application for a new business permit entails more steps, documentary requirements and thus longer processing time. Among the requirements are screening, tax, labor, social security, safety and health and environment-related.

Renewals are almost a breeze compared to new applications, especially with the presence of the Business One-Stop Shop. Some reforms have already been instituted by selected LGUs, as in extending the renewal period for up to six months.

The next two slides show you the results of LGU workshops in Cebu.

One major result of the BPLS workshops was the streamlining of the BPLS at the National Economic Research and Business Assistance Center (NERBAC), a one-stop shop for business registration and licensing in Cebu.

DTI hopes that NERBAC will motivate and enable local government units (LGUs) to streamline their respective procedures on business permits and licenses (BPL). We saw that by streamlining business permit and licensing

system (BPLS), LGUs will be able to encourage informal businesses to register, spur the creation of new businesses, and generate more revenues.

Consequently, the aggregate results will lead to the creation of more

employment opportunities and more social services and benefits for the

citizenry.

Already in 1992, the National Economic Research and Business Assistance Center (NERBAC) was created through Republic Act 7470 to fast track investment inflows and strengthen the country’s business and investment climate. However, it was only in 2006 that NERBAC in Cebu was launched.

The implementation of the NERBAC came on the heels of The World Competitiveness Report in 2006 which revealed that the Philippines lagged very much behind as a friendly country for investors, ranking 49 out of 60 countries. The result showcased the consequences of a complex and

arduous process to legitimize business in the Philippines requiring and consuming a lot more money and time from the entrepreneurs than necessary. It served as a wake up call and prompted the Philippine Government to further intensify the efforts to cut down on red tape and to simplify the country’s business registration system.

Given that the staff of NERBAC comes from different agencies, DTI saw the need to harmonize the center’s procedures and systems and build the individual and organizational capacities required for the operations of NERBAC.

Through NERBAC, LGUs and the entire government bureaucracy, can see that cutting red tape to improve service delivery to businesses has a far-reaching impact in improving the business and investment climate of the country. In effect, such action is a form of investment that will yield multiple dividends and profits a few years onwards.

There is direct correlation between simplified business registration and

licensing procedures on one hand and business creation and investment

inflows on the other.

As shown by the experience of other countries such as Australia, a

reduction in the cost of doing business by three percent of the gross

domestic product (GDP), which includes business registration and licensing,

creates an extra USd 1.2 billion that is available for investments.

For the Philippines, such an amount is nearly equivalent to the average

yearly foreign direct investments (FDIs) over the last five years. Therefore, it makes much sense to reduce the administrative and regulatory burdens on businesses.

In the near future, we envision a “One Region, One System” in the business licensing procedures in all the local government units in Central Visayas .

Meanwhile, we have pilot areas in Cebu that are continuously finding ways to improve their way of doing business. These are Consolacion and Barili. The municipal office of Barili has trimmed down the number of steps in the application for business license from 7 to 4 steps. While Consolacion has rearranged the lay-out of their business licensing area so as to make business transaction smooth and hassle-free for entrepreneurs.

Our long term goal at the DTI is to increase the contribution of MSMEs as an important engine of economic growth. And with the help of LGUs and private sector, we do believe that this is possible.

Central Visayas has a great potential of becoming a world class business hub, owing to the region’s strategic location. In line with the Arroyo administration’s 10-Point Agenda, the Department of Trade and Industry’s policy thrusts until 2010 will focus on the Philippines’ competitive edge, which includes quality manpower resources, strategic business location, liberalized and business friendly economy, hospitable lifestyle, and unlimited business opportunities.

While the problems are huge, so is our collective resolve to overcome. I have said this before and I’ll say it again: “I have great faith in the Boholano bayanihan spirit. There have been herculean programs achieved and a multitude of problems resolved through the spirit of teamwork. I am convinced that through the partnership of DTI and LGUs, our determination, commitment and concerted efforts, we will make a positive difference in the prosperity of our towns and in the lives of our people.”

Daghang Salamat ug maayong adlaw kaninyo.

OTOP Familiarization Tour in Cebu South

I joined the first One Town One Product (OTOP) Familiarization Tour for Cebu tour guides last February 26, 2008. As expected, the sites we visited were interesting enough for tourists.

We believe orienting guides and operators on OTOP products of each town can increase the products' market exposure. Tour guides and operators educate tourists on heritage and culture of places. It would be logical for them to also know OTOP products which the Philippines can boast of because of their high quality. The recent OTOP briefings have given travel agents new information which they can share to tourists.

Cebu and Bohol have been consistently ranked as the top favored tourist destinations among foreign travelers based on the recorded number of international tourist arrivals by the Department of Tourism.

Note that these were the same tour guides who attended the OTOP Briefing held at the Cebu City Marriott Hotel.

Discussed during that briefing were the history and background on the provincial OTOP products. DTI 7 provided storylines for OTOP products which tours guides can use as part of their spiel during regular city and countryside tours. They can incorporate OTOP stories into the town’s history and narrate it to tourists.

The familiarization tour provided them with ideas for new tour loops. The familiarization tour covered visits to tourist ready sites in Talisay, Carcar, Argao and Minglanilla.

Next OTOP Familiarization Tour will be on March 3 this year.

Peace

I think that the present Philippine government administration should remain in office. This is just a personal opinion. I've been working on the Central Visayas economic statistics for the past three years and results look good. I would not want any change in government administration at this point.

Our economy is doing well... not just the Visayas but the whole country. In 2007, the Philippines ranked as the 25th largest economy by the International Monetary Fund according to purchasing power parity. It is the fastest-growing economy in Southeast Asia, posting a real GDP growth rate of 7.3% in the year 2007, its fastest pace in three decades and has been compared to the economy of India in its sudden and rapid growth.

With these glowing economic figures, why would any sane person want things to change?

OK, so progress has been slow in reaching the grassroots, that doesn't mean that government economic fundamentals are weak. Hey, guys, our country isn't just the problem of people at the top. Everyone has to pick up their butts and work to uplift our lives.

I admit I'm not a big fan of militant groups, especially militant religious and student groups. To me, what they do is counter productive and destructive.

I'd rather support those that help build houses for the poor (Gawad Kalinga), environmentalists who plant trees and protect marine resources (Save the Earth), businessmen who teach entrepreneurship (GO Negosyo), LGUs who assist countryside entrepreneurs (One Town, One Product), NGOs who work for better business practices and help in facilitating business registration and licensing to lessen corruption in government (National Economic Research and Business Assistance Center). These are more productive than staging rallies in the streets. We need more of these productive people to better our country.

Yes, I agree that everyone has a right to their opinion on matters pertaining to how things run in government. But I do hope they'll use more of their energy to do productive things.

"People Power" should be used for something positive. Let's not get carried by our emotions or by fiery street orators. Why not use our brains to think of how best to improve the lives of our people instead of using it to think of the next political move. Use our hands to build things instead of destroy. Talk of philanthropy, not coup d 'etat.

Let's give peace a chance.

Happy Countries

Heading up the happiness scale is Denmark, thanks to its wealth, natural beauty, small population size, quality education, and good health care.

Other countries who rated were: Switzerland (2), Austria (3), Iceland (4), Bahamas (5), Finland (6), Sweden (7), Bhutan (8), Brunei (9) and Canada (10), the Netherlands (15), Malaysia (17), Norway (19), United Arab Emirates (22), USA (23), Vanuatu (24), Australia (26), Saudi Arabia (31), Germany (35), Kuwait (38), Great Britain (41), Qatar (45), Spain (46), France (62), Hong Kong (63), Indonesia (64), Thailand (76), the Philippines (78), China (82), Japan (90), South Africa (109), India (125), Pakistan (166), and Russia (167).

The study pulled together from worldwide sources and surveys found that good health care and education are as important as wealth to modern happiness

The researches used a battery of statistical data, plus the subjective responses of 80,000 people worldwide, to map out well-being across 178 countries.

Not surprisingly, the countries that are happiest are those that are healthy, wealthy, and wise. Population size also plays a role (Note that countries with a high level of happiness have almost negative population growth. Having children clearly does not influence a person’s happiness).

Smaller countries with greater social cohesion and a stronger sense of national identity tended to score better, while those with the largest populations fared worse. China came in No. 82, India ranked 125, and Russia was 167. The U.S. came in at 23.

Good health may be the key to happiness, but money helps open the door. Wealthier countries, such as Switzerland (2) and Luxembourg (10) scored high on the index. Not surprisingly, most African countries, which have little of either; scored poorly. Zimbabwe, which has an AIDS rate of 25%, an average life expectancy of 39, and an 80% poverty rate, ranked near the bottom at 177. Meanwhile, the conflict between the Hutus and Tutsis gave fellow Africans in Burundi, ranked 178, even less to smile about, despite their having a slightly lower poverty rate of 68%.

Capitalism, meanwhile, fared quite well. Free-market systems are sometimes blamed for producing unhappiness due to insecurity and competition, but the U.S. was No. 23 and all the top-ranking European countries are firmly capitalist—albeit of a social-democratic flavor.


For the people of the Philippines, family, health, and religion are the three most important sources of happiness.

In the world happiness ranking, the Philippines scored average. The country’s rating was pulled down generally by overpopulation and malnutrition. This is actually a cue for Filipinos to seriously implement birth control because overpopulation is straining our natural environment, food and financial reserves, as well as our sanity --- in this case, MORE is definitely NOT BETTER.

A study, conducted by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), shows that Filipinos ranked family as the most important source of happiness, giving it a score of 9.45 on a scale of 1 to 10 (In countries ranking high in the happiness scale, close intimate relationships are top priority... whether family or friends) . Health came next, with a score of 8.95, while religion ranked third with 8.59 (Note that countries that score high on the happiness scale are mostly secular. This means that social interaction and a sense of belonging are dominant factors to happiness rather than religion).

Other important sources of happiness include friends (8.57), financial security (8.3), education (8.25), love life (8.2), and work (7.94).

The NSCB survey showed that politics was the least important source of happiness, with a score of 5.84. Other unimportant domains of happiness are cultural activities (5.88), community and volunteer work (6.24), and government (6.53).

In terms of level of happiness, the study by the NSCB also found that Filipinos were happy with their family life, with a happiness index rating of 88.5%. They were also happy with their friends (83.6%), religion (79.8%) and love life (79.4%).

The NSCB study also found that people were happier “with domains that are within their control than those not within their control like politics” and that 6 out of
10 respondents thought that progress was synonymous with happiness.

The study revealed that women were happier than men, and that happiness increased with income.

The study by the National Statistical Coordination Board was based on a non-random poll of 167 respondents conducted during the National Convention on Statistics held in the beginning of October 2007.

Non-random sampling meant that the Board only gave out the questionnaires to those who wanted to answer it during the convention without a specific target group in mind, according to Jessamyn Encarnacion of the NSCB’s Social Statistics Office and co-author of the paper titled Measuring Progress of Philippine Society: Gross National Product or Gross National Happiness.

The factors that the questionnaire listed were: family, friends, religion, love life, health, education, sex life, work, leisure and sports, community and volunteer work, technological know-how, income and financial security, cultural activities, environment, economy, government, and politics.

In similar surveys, researchers found that societies with people who are more expressive and open with their feelings; those who are given freedom of choice and freedom to be their natural selves are happier.

OTOP Familiarization Tour in Bohol

The OTOP Familiarization Tour activities was conducted last February 19 on the assumption that tour guides and operators will make effective walking “billboards” in the advocacy and promotion of OTOP products in the region.

Orienting tourist guides and tour operators on OTOP products of each town in Bohol can increase the products' market exposure. Tour guides and operators educate tourists on heritage and culture. It would be logical for them to also know OTOP products which the region can boast of because of their high quality.

The recent OTOP briefings have given travel agents new information which they can share to tourists


DTI 7 is working closely with tour operators and DOT because they develop tour packages. They also help develop stops and sites ready for tourists

The OTOP Program will make use of the growing tourism industry as a gateway to promote and sell OTOP products in Bohol and Cebu to international and domestic visitors alike.

Bohol and Cebu have been consistently ranked as the top favored tourist destination among foreign travelers based on the recorded number of international tourist arrivals by the Department of Tourism.

Discussed during the DTI 7 OTOP briefing for travel agents were the history and background on the provincial OTOP products. DTI 7 provided storylines for OTOP products which tours guides can use as part of their spiel during regular city and countryside tours. They can incorporate OTOP stories into the town’s history and narrate it to tourists.

DTI 7 and DOT 7 conducted the OTOP familiarization tour for the same travel agents who attended the briefings in Cebu and Bohol.

The familiarization tour covered visits to tourist ready sites in municipalities and cities producing OTOP products. It was the intention of the DTI and the DOT that the OTOP tour will be included in the official tour loops that the travel agents shall develop for the region’s tourists.

Gross National Happiness

The term Gross National Happiness was first expressed by the King of Bhutan His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck. It is rooted in the Buddhist notion that the ultimate purpose of life is inner happiness. Bhutan being a Buddhist country, Bhutan’s King felt the responsibility to define development in terms of happiness of its people, rather than in terms of an abstract economic measurement such as Gross National Product (GNP).

I first discovered this term in a book titled "The Geography Of Happiness". It was a new way of looking at human success in life. My initial reaction was amusement; I thought it was a joke. But on further thought, it made sense. According to some great thinkers, man's greatest need is Happiness. In fact, it is the ultimate goal of every human being whether they are aware of it or not. It influences their every decision and every action.

So far, Bhutan has succeeded in limiting exposure to global trade, foreign capital investment, modern mass media and tourism. Bhutan believes that its indigenous culture is generally self-sufficient and has little to gain from conventional western development. The country has for centuries followed a traditional model of development which is based on improving the quality of life, while respecting natural and cultural constraints, rather than the quantity of material production and consumption. As such it forms a reminder for conventional western development planners that development can also be based on non-material values, such as cultural, social and environmental values.

Did you know that, according to the World Database of Happiness (WDH), money to a certain extent contributes to a person's happiness.

In the WDH database, which lists 95 countries, the Happiness Scale is headed by Denmark with a rating of 8.2, followed by Switzerland, Austria, Iceland and Finland, all countries with high per capita income. At the other end of the scale are much poorer countries: Tanzania rated 3.2, behind Zimbabwe, Moldova, Ukraine and Armenia.

This is so because money provides a person with a wide range of choices --- what everyone wants.

Wealth counts, but most studies of individuals show income disparities count more. Surprisingly, however, citizens are no happier in welfare states, which strive to mitigate the distortions of capitalism than in purer free-market economies.

There is also an emphasis on personal freedom as a root of happiness, citing a study on women in the southern Indian state of Kerala, which showed that poor women who make their own choices score highly, compared with women with strict fathers or husbands.

Bhutan, where less than half the people can read or write and 90 per cent are subsistence farmers, ranks No. 8 in his list of happy nations. Its notion of happiness is based on equitable development, environmental conservation, cultural heritage and good governance.

Other researches found other underlying factors: marriage is better for men than for women; having children does not raise happiness levels; education and IQ seem to have little impact; attractive people are only slightly happier than the unattractive; the elderly -- over 65 -- are more satisfied with their lives than the young; friendships are crucial; so are social involvement and acceptance.

"But the research also shows that many people are simply disposed to being either happy or disgruntled, and as much as 50 per cent of the happiness factor is genetic. Like body weight, moods can swing only so much from their natural "set point.''

So can you do anything about it? Some educators say you can.

People "can be taught emotional resilience, self control, the habits of optimism, handling negative thoughts and much else,'' Anthony Seldon, Tony Blair's biographer and the headmaster of Wellington College in Britain, wrote recently in the Financial Times.

With the right combination of individual choices and government policy, nations can raise their happiness quotient by as much as five per cent.

"Although economic output has risen steeply over the past decades, there has been no rise in life satisfaction during this period, and there has been a substantial increase in depression and distrust.''

"It's time we admitted that there's more to life than money, and it's time we focused not just on GDP, but on GWB -- general well-being (or GNH -- Gross National Happiness)." We need to learn to weigh not only personal feelings ("I'm always optimistic about my future''), but how people function ("I feel I am free to decide for myself how to live my life'') and their relationships with others ("To what extent do you feel that people in your local area help one another?'').

The actions of a person affects the happiness of another since all are somehow intertwined in this life. I guess people today who constantly attend street rallies or make joining rallies a "hobby" are actually contributing to National Unhappiness. Unfortunately, at the moment, these people don't realize that they have lost moral ascendancy (considering that they are partly to blame for the present problem) and have been reduced to mere irritants in the eyes of ordinary citizens. Of course, the religious sector and media representatives in our country understand what I mean.

You want to change society and increase the well-being of everyone? Here is one simple advise from experts: BY IMPROVING YOURSELF, YOU IMPROVE SOCIETY.

Brochures on the One Town One Product in Central Visayas

Finally, the One Town One Product (OTOP) brochures on Central Visayas have been produced and disseminated to clients in Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.

The Central Visayas OTOP brochures was first released on January 21, 2008.

The implementation of the OTOP Program in Central Visayas has been creating public awareness and has encouraged Local Government Units (LGUs) to support business initiatives in the countryside.

This is a positive development because government believes that spurring economic activity through promoting a highly competitive product could boost enterprise creation.

OTOP-Philippines is a priority program of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, which aids in promoting entrepreneurship to alleviate poverty in the long term.

Port Of Siquijor

I just had to write this blog.

I was very impressed with the Port of Siquijor when we arrived there the other week for our Regional MANCOM Conference.





For a tiny island, you don't expect a long covered walkway, a clean and comfy terminal, and fine white sand beach at the port. Well surprise!... that was exactly what welcomed us.











We arrived in Siquijor via Weesam fast seacraft. Take note, we didn't have to wade through the waters to get to the beach like in Boracay. Plus, we instantly felt a sense of tranquility ...zen like peace (there are no wild parties and noisy karaokes... thank God)




My companions said it seems a great place for retirees. In fact, there were several Europeans who also arrived on that day , a few of them retirees --- the quiet type.





I learned that Siquijodnons do not like rowdy, brassy and noisy tourists. Good thing that they scare a good number of them with talks of witchcraft and the evil eye --- just kidding.

That was my third visit to the island after several years. It has improved a lot it terms of infrastructure.




During the MANCOM, we stayed at the Coco Grove Beach Resort. I found it to be a conducive place for meditating, book reading and writing.

Business With Pleasure

Last January 23, we conducted a one day briefing of travel agents in Bohol on the One Town, One Product (Otop) program of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

We believed that orienting tour guides and operators on OTOP products of each town can increase the products' market exposure since they educate tourists on heritage and culture.

We thought It would be nice for them to also know the OTOP products we can boast of because of their high quality.

At least 45 tour guides and tour operators attended the event which was held at the Bohol Divers' Beach Resort in Panglao Island.



At the end of the end of the day, I and my colleagues were able to relax and stroll on the beach.

That is what is so good about having a business conference at a beach resort!

Tour Guides To Sell Bohol and Cebu's Best Products

Tour guide operators in Bohol and Cebu will become mobile billboards in promoting the locally popular products uniquely known for in the different towns and cities in the provinces.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-7) Regional Director Asteria Caberte during a recent briefing to tour guides in Cebu and Bohol bared the 'One Town, One Product' (OTOP) Program will make use of the growing tourism industry as a gateway to promote and sell OTOP products in Central Visayas to international and domestic visitors
alike.

The OTOP is a priority program of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to promote entrepreneurship and create jobs.

Cebu and Bohol on the other hand, has been consistently been ranked as among the top favored tourist destinations among foreign travelers based on the recorded number of international tourist arrivals by the Department of Tourism.

Ideally, the OTOP product of a certain town or city must capture the heart, culture and skills of the people in the locality apart from the abundance of raw materials within the area in making that particular product, according to Caberte.

The OTOP Program likewise supports micro, small and medium enterprises to manufacture, offer and market distinctive products or services through the use of indigenous raw materials and local skills and talents. It is designed to encourage entrepreneurship and local patronage of native products, generate employment and enhance the tourism profile of the country.

The DTI is the lead agency of the OTOP Program offering a comprehensive assistance package through a convergence of services from the local government units, national government agencies and the private sector. Some of these services include business counseling, skills and entrepreneurial training, product design and development, appropriate technologies and marketing.

Some Region 7 OTOP products along with other items from Regions 6 and 8 are on display at the Natalie Shop in Ayala Center Cebu.

Caberte said the DTI-7 is currently negotiating with the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority to put up their own OTOP corner at the airport so tourists can see the different products from Central Visayas in one area.

Before the briefings, a memorandum of agreement was signed by the DTI, DOT and the CATO to become partners not only in promoting Cebu and Bohol but its popular local products as well.