Iloilo: The new leadership of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) in Western Visayas is eyeing to reach out to more businesses at the local or municipal level and make them part of the chamber.

According to Philippines News Agency, PCCI Western Visayas Governor Fulbert Woo stated that by creating a business chamber movement down to the local level, they would be able to bring national programs down to the grassroots. He emphasized the advantage of having a national organization that can collaborate with national government agencies or local government units, ensuring that there is a chamber at the local level to address business concerns.

Woo highlighted the role of the regional chamber in expanding membership and establishing connections with municipal chambers. He expressed hope to create additional chambers in Iloilo, particularly in the north, south, and central regions. The PCCI Western Visayas Regional Council was also formed to gather presidents of other chambers in the region for regionwide program implementation.

Woo recently handed over his position as president of the PCCI - Iloilo chapter to Jerduen Dongor. During his term, Woo focused on making the chapter a community-based chamber of commerce, with notable accomplishments including the launch of the Iloilo Business Expo (ILOBEX) and the Innovation Synergy for New Creations (Insync) program. These initiatives aimed to support micro and small enterprises and the startup ecosystem, respectively.

Under the new leadership of Dongor, these initiatives are expected to continue, sustaining the efforts to support local businesses and foster economic growth in the region.