POLITICAL WILL. Atty. Marissa Marasigan-Torentera, officer-in-charge of the Davao City Business Bureau said the general optimism of the business sector towards the economy this year can be credited to the President Rodrigo Duterte, whom she said exercised “political will”. (Paulo C. Rizal/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines—Business owners here are upbeat as they look forward to a better economy in the new year.
On Monday, the city government started to accommodate businessmen for the annual renewal and application of business permits at the Sangguniang Panglungsod.
Accounting firm owner Alma, 46, a resident of this city, said she felt there was a strong momentum when it comes to doing a business activity in the city.
She said that, unlike the previous years, processing of business applications is now easier and fast, crediting such change to President Rodrigo Duterte who ordered that government transactions must be completed the soonest.
“Part of it because we have a new president. Change has come and it came quickly. It’s also a factor that [Duterte] is from Davao,” she said.
Another businesswoman, Baby, 52, who owns a sand and gravel business in Barangay Mandug, said the city’s population growth makes it more conducive to do business.
“The economy now is really good because more and more people are coming to Davao. Our business is really booming. The more people who will move to Davao, the more people will avail of our services,” she said.
For her part, Atty. Marissa M. Torentera, officer-in-charge of the City Business Bureau said the perceived optimism from the local business sector was attributed to Duterte’s “political will.”
“He really implements the law with the good of the people in mind. He has the political will. I think that’s one of the things that attract businessmen,” Torentera said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the city’s business bureau was able to process 1,294 business permit renewal transactions while a satellite office in NCCC Mall was able to process 365.
Read: Fast transaction of business renewal application on first day
Meanwhile, a study conducted by P&A Grant Thornton International Business Report reflected the positive economic predictions for 2017.
The reported noted that Philippines was the second strongest among 36 nations with stable economy. The report, however, noted a decrease by the last three months of 2016 to 80 percent, a dip from third quarter’s 84 percent.
During the second quarter, confidence was at its peak at 92 percent, which marked the election of the current president. The report was based on interviews from some 2,500 chief executive officers, business managers and business executives all over the world.(davaotoday.com)
