World Chambers Competition

Best job creation and business development project

Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry The

FINALIST

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (NOCCI), being the only recognized voice of business in the Province of , Philippines, developed the TIP PROJECT or the TRADE TOURISM and INVESTMENT PROMOTION ("TIP" for short) PROJECT to support its mission in conducting trade, tourism and investment promotion, business development activities and enhancement of the business environment of the Province of Negros Oriental. The TIP Project was conceptualized during the last quarter of 2013 and was launched in January, 2014 as the banner project of the Chamber to support its new advocacy for inclusive growth and local economic development through job creation and investment promotion. The banner project was coined from the word “tip” - which means giving sound business advice or sharing relevant information and expertise to all investors, businessmen, local government officials and development partners. The TIP Project was also conceptualized to highlight the significant role and contribution of NOCCI as a champion for local economic development and as a banner project of the Chamber to celebrate its Silver 25th Anniversary by December, 2016.

For two years, from January, 2015 to December, 2016, NOCCI worked closely with its various partners in local economic development like the Provincial Government, Local Government Units (LGUs), National Government Agencies (NGAs), Non- Government Organizations (NGOs), Industry Associations and international funding agencies in implementing its various job creation programs and investment promotion activities to market Negros Oriental as an ideal investment/business destination for tourism, retirement, retail, business process outsourcing, power/energy and agro-industrial projects.

With the remarkable success and commendable accomplishments of the TIP Project, NOCCI was recognized and acknowledged by its partners as the champion for local economic development and received numerous local, regional, national and international awards and commendations. The TIP Project also enabled NOCCI to strengthen and expand its network of alliances and collaboration not only with local development partners but also with national and international funding institutions that share the same advocacy of NOCCI, i.e., to promote inclusive growth and champion local economic development.

Among the notable partnerships, collaborations and alliances forged under the TIP Project with various national government agencies/organizations and international funding organizations/institutions from 2015 to 2016 were as follows:  The JobStart Program and the Local Governance Support Program for Local Economic Development ("LGSP-LED" for short) – The Government of Canada and the Philippine Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)  Coordinating Roads & Infrastructure Investments for Development (CR+ID) Program – The Asia Foundation, Australian Aid (AusAid) and the Philippine Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)  Optimizing and Upscaling Roles in the Food Supply Chain (OURFood) Program and the Creation of the Negros Oriental Food Safety Team – AFOS German Foundation for Entrepreneurial Development Cooperation and the Philippine Department of Science and Technology (DOST)  Shared Service Facility Program & Negosyo Centers – Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)  Business Development and Investment Promotion – Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI)  Environmental Protection and Conservation Program thru a Forest Restoration Project known as the 10 Million Trees in 10 Years Project with the world's biggest geothermal company, the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) and the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)  Tourism Promotions and Marketing Program and Tourism Investment Promotion Program – Province of Negros Oriental and Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT)  Sister City Cooperation Program with the City Governments of Alameda, USA and YeongdongGun, Korea

At the end of two (2) years, the TIP Project was able to exceed its ambitious target of generating P40Billion ($880M) in local/foreign investments and creating close to 10,000 new jobs in 2015 and 2016. For 2 consecutive years, NOCCI bagged the 2015 and 2016 Most Outstanding Chamber of Commerce Awards (MOCCA) in the and in the Philippines. NOCCI also won the 2016 Most Outstanding Chamber of Commerce Award (Small Chamber Category) in Asia-Pacific during the 30th CACCI Conference held in Taipei, Taiwan last November 23, 2016.

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II. The Innovative Nature of the Project

The TIP (Tourism Trade and Investment Promotion) Project was conceptualized by the Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NOCCI) in the last quarter of 2013 to support its mission in conducting trade, tourism and investment promotion which include business development activities and enhancing the business environment of the Province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. It was launched in the first quarter of 2014 as the banner project of the Chamber to pursue its new advocacy for inclusive growth and local economic development through job creation and investment promotion.

The TIP Project was coined from the word “tip” which means giving sound business advice or sharing relevant information and expertise to all investors, businessmen, local government officials and local partners to make the Province of Negros Oriental an ideal trade, tourism and investment/business destination in Asia. The TIP Project was also conceptualized to highlight the significant role and contribution of NOCCI as a champion for local economic development and as the banner project of the Chamber in time for its Silver 25th Founding Anniversary celebration in December, 2016.

Through the TIP Project, NOCCI was able to generate much needed financial resources to effectively implement local economic development projects for the Province of Negros Oriental. For two years, from 2015 to 2016, NOCCI was able to partner with various Local Government Units (LGUs), National Government Agencies (NGAs) and other Developmental partners in order to increase its resources, implement programs and projects related to business and investment promotion and sustain other activities that are in line with the mission and goals of a developing local chamber.

The strong partnership with government and non-government organizations provided the much needed resources for NOCCI for its manpower support in order to provide effective administrative and facilitation assistance in the extension of various services to its members, to the business community, and to the poor people of Negros Oriental. Hence, NOCCI embraced the idea of forging strong alliances and collaboration with LGUs, NGAs, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), and international Funding Agencies like the German AFOS Foundation, The Australian Aid (AUSAid), The Asia Foundation (TAF) and The Government of Canada for the OURFood, CR+ID, JobStart, and LGSP-LED Programs. The TIP Project was an innovative strategy and unique platform for NOCCI as it was able to put everybody "under one roof" such that all the various local, regional, national, and international government and nongovernment institutions, agencies, and organizations can now work closely together literally under "one roof" (thru NOCCI) to fast track the implementation of their numerous pro- poor programs and advocacies in a more sustainable and cost-effective manner and ultimately meet NOCCI's ambitious targets for 2015 and 2016 in terms of job creation and attracting investors. Put simply, NOCCI's TIP Project became some sort of "centralized clearing house or command center platform" for everyone with the same advocacy "to run to" to avoid program duplication and maximize the use of available resources thru proper planning, closer coordination and more cost- effective execution of all pro-poor programs and projects within the Province of Negros Oriental.

Through the innovative TIP Project, strategic alliances and strong collaborative partnerships for all pro-poor programs and projects were institutionalized by all stakeholders in both the public and private sector. NOCCI was able to generate and bring in the much needed resources (financial and manpower support) to pursue local economic initiatives and implement its key development programs and projects for the Province of Negros Oriental in order to achieve inclusive economic growth. Finally, it is hoped that through the innovative TIP Project, the Philippine Government will someday enact a law creating a "DEPARTMENT OF COORDINATION" to ensure that all government and non-government stakeholders speak the same language and COORDINATE with each other to achieve a speedy, cost-effective, and more sustainable implementation of all pro-poor programs, projects, and advocacies from both the public and private sectors.

III. Impact of the Project and Measurable Outcomes

Through NOCCI’s close collaboration with the various partners in local economic development like the Provincial Government, Local Government Units (LGUs), National Government Agencies (NGAs), Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), Industry Associations and International Funding Agencies, NOCCI successfully implemented various job creation, business development and investment promotion activities to market Negros Oriental as an ideal investment/business destination for tourism, retirement, retail, business process outsourcing, power/energy and agro-industrial projects.

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With the remarkable success of the TIP Project, NOCCI was recognized and acknowledged by its key development partners as the champion for local economic development and received various local, regional, national and international awards and commendations. The TIP Project also enabled NOCCI to strengthen and expand its network of alliances and collaboration not only with local partners but also with national and international funding institutions that share the same advocacy of NOCCI, i.e. to promote inclusive growth and local economic development.

Among the notable partnerships and alliances forged by NOCCI with various NGAs/organizations and international funding organizations/institutions under the TIP Project in 2015 and 2016 with laudable accomplishments are as follows:

III.A Local Governance Support Program for Local Economic Development (LGSP-LED) Program, January, 2015 to August, 2016

The Local Governance Support Program for Local Economic Development (LGSP-LED) is a cooperation program of the Governments of the Philippines and Canada, implemented by the Philippine Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). Thru the TIP Project, the Province of Negros Oriental was fortunate to be one of the identified provinces which received financial grants and assistance by the Government of Canada to support LGUs by providing a robust environment where rapid economic development can take place. LGSP-LED Program aims to build the capacities of LGUs and forge alliances with the private sector to take charge of their economic future, attract sustainable businesses and create jobs towards a better quality of life for their local constituents.

In the Province of Negros Oriental, NOCCI was identified as the only private sector partner of LGSP-LED in implementing their 2 main strategic programs, 1.) Creating Business-Friendly and Competitive LGUs and 2.) Building Competitive Economic Enterprises. NOCCI implemented the LGSP-LED in Negros Oriental thru 4 core component programs: 1.) Investment Promotion, 2.) Workforce Development, 3.) Tourism Product Development, and 4.) LGU Enabling Activities.

As the only local private sector partner in Negros Oriental for LGSP-LED, the NOCCI office was designated as the administration, secretariat and meeting headquarters of the program, while NOCCI President Edward Du was designated as the Co-Manager, representing the private sector of the Project Implementation Team (PIT) and NOCCI Executive Director, Juan Agustine V. Jalandoni was designated as the Partnership Adviser to ensure the successful implementation of the various component programs of LGSP-LED.

Through strong collaboration and partnership with NOCCI, the LGSP-LED flagship component programs were successfully implemented as follows:

III.A.1 Investment Promotion

The Local LED project promoted a sustainable agro-eco adventure tourism circuit in the province of Negros Oriental and committed to deliver at least PHP 500M investments within two (2) years from 2015 to 2016. The Project easily exceeded this target by generating investments totaling PHP 13.6 Billion ($272M) in 2015 and 2016. The significant accomplishment is attributed to the alliances and partnerships forged by NOCCI, working hand in hand with its key partners to achieve economic development and inclusive growth.

Among the notable investments generated by NOCCI for City and other key sites of the Negros Oriental tourism circuit since the start of the LGSP-LED program in Negros Oriental include:  PHP 300M 2-storey mall (2.5 hectares) along the National Highway of Dumaguete City  PHP 200M Bay Resort/Commercial Complex in Brgy. Piapi, Dumaguete City  PHP 1.8B Health Care facilities in Dumaguete City and , Negros Oriental  PHP 1.3B solar energy farm in Bais City,  PHP 60M themed resort in , Negros Oriental  PHP 10B Township Project by FILINVEST along the scenic Boulevard of Dumaguete City

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Total LGSP-LED Investments Generated for 2015-2016 under the TIP Project: P13,660,000,000.00

The LGSP-LED Program of NOCCI organized and hosted various investment promotion activities in 2015 as follows:

1) In order to strengthen the investment promotion capabilities of the LGUs, particularly their LEIPOs, NOCCI hosted the 24th PCCI Visayas Area Business Conference (VABC) in July, 16-17, 2015. During the VABC, local chief executives (Mayors) and their respective Local Economic Investment Promotion Officers (LEIPOs) had the opportunity to meet with prospective investors and present their investment briefs. As a direct result of their participation in the Investors Fair activity of VABC 2015, the Municipalities of Dauin, and were able to meet with and establish relationships with potential investors for priority investment projects in their respective communities:

2) Under the Sister City Cooperation Program of NOCCI (Sister City Program being one of the component programs under the TIP Project), NOCCI organized and hosted the 1st International Business Exchange in November 23, 2015. Again, the various LGUs and their respective LEIPOs had a B2B session with potential investors from the two sister cities of Dumaguete City - Alameda City, USA and YeongdungGun City of South Korea. A total of 25 trade delegates from Alameda City, USA and 35 trade delegates from YeongdungGun, South Korea participated in the 1st international business exchange under the TIP Project. This activity resulted to an interest of a South Korean investor to establish a P200Million Health and Wellness Spa in Dauin Hot Springs and visited the Municipality of Dauin for exploratory talks with the Mayor and site visit to the hot spring area. The B2B sessions also resulted in the launching of the very popular InstaScram Mobile App Contest, the Alameda-Dumaguete Coco-Mango Ice Cream and the biggest Alameda, USA medical mission in May, 2016 with more than 150 doctors, nurses and medical staff from Alameda, USA treating 10,000 indigent patients from Dumaguete City.

III.A.2 Workforce Development / Human Capital Development

NOCCI partnered with Philippine Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and LGSP-LED assisted the province of Negros Oriental and five other participating LGUs in developing ther local workforce development programs to address the problem of job mismatch in the local labor market vis-a-viz the growing manpower demands of the local business sector. NOCCI President and Co-Manager of LGSP-LED PIT Mr. Edward Du and NOCCI Executive Director Juan Agustine V. Jalandoni who also acted as Partnership adviser of the LGSP-LED Negros Oriental Program coached and mentored the participants from the various LGUs in the formulation and finalization of their respective workforce development plans in partnership with DILG.

Thru the TIP Project, the provincial government of Negros Oriental, the 3 cities and 2 municipalities of the LGSP-LED circuit received a combined total of PHP 31M ($620K) in funding from DILG’s TRABAJO (Training for Better Access to Job Opportunities) Program to undertake their workforce development plan activities even after the end of the LGSP-LED Program. The 6 LGUs received the following assistance to fund their workforce development plans:  Province of Negros Oriental – P 5 Million  Dumaguete City - PhP 7 Million  Bais City - PhP 5 Million  City - PhP 5 Million  Manjuyod - PhP 5 Million  Dauin - PhP 4 Million Total TRABAJO Funds Downloaded to Six (6) LGUs under the TIP Project- PhP 31 Million ($620,000) Estimated local beneficiaries to be trained to improve their employability under the NOCCI – DILG TRABAJO Program: 2,600 local residents

III.A.3 Tourism Product Development Tourism product development and marketing efforts of the LGSP-LED program was supported and jointly undertaken by NOCCI in partnership with the Province of Negros Oriental to ensure its successful implementation.

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NOCCI, together with four of its industry association members, NOATTA (Negros Oriental Association of Travel and Tour Agencies), ATTIN (Association of Travel and Tours in Negros), NDA (Negros Dive Association), and NOHRRA (Negros Oriental Hotels Resorts and Restaurant Association) came up with new standardized tour packages for the Negros Oriental Tourism Circuit.

A stakeholder-driven activity was organized by NOCCI, DILG, Province of Negros Oriental and LGSP-LED and facilitated by the branding consultant from the Foundation for Communications Initiatives (FOCI). After several activities, NOCCI produced and launched Negros Oriental’s new Tourism Brand and Logo (“This is how you want to Live”) sometime in January, 2016.

The primary goal of these tourism product development and destination branding initiatives is to further enhance, improve and make the tourism industry of the Province of Negros Oriental a more attractive and competitive destination that can lure more visitors and generate more investments and employment for the locals. The new tourism brand as well as the new tour packages developed for the identified priority circuits were approved by the local stakeholders in January 2016.

III.A.4 LGU Enabling Activities

NOCCI, DILG and LGSP-LED jointly conducted capacity development activities from January 2015 to December 2016 and provided various training and coaching sessions to 6 LEIPOs and 35 LGU officials and staff to develop policies and regulatory reforms as well as implement programs that advance business friendliness and competitiveness particularly in the areas of: workforce development planning, formulation of local investment incentives codes (LIIC), enactment of a private public partnership (PPP) ordinance, computerization of streamlined business permit and licensing systems (BPLS), preparation of investment promotion materials (e.g. LGU investment guides, investment briefs for priority projects), and conduct of investment promotion activities.

As a result of the capacity building trainings for the LEIPOs and other LGU officials, the participating LGUs of Negros Oriental produced the following outputs from January 2015 to December 2016:  6 LGU Workforce Development Plans - 1 provincial and 5 for Dauin, Dumaguete City, Tanjay City, Bais City and Manjuyod  6 New/updated Local Investment and Incentives Codes (including new LIIC formulated for Dauin, Bais City, and Manjuyod)  4 New Private-Public-Partnership (PPP) Codes for the Province of Negros Oriental, Cities of Dumaguete, Bais and  3 computerized business permit and licensing systems (e-BPLS) installed in Bais City, Dauin, and Manjuyod using software and technology from eGov4MD.

With coaching and mentorship from NOCCI, the LEIPOs produced new investment materials for their respective LGUs:  1 Provincial Investment Guide for Negros Oriental  5 LGU Profiles for Dauin, Dumaguete City, Tanjay City, Bais City and Manjuyod  6 investment briefs (1 per LGU) for priority business investment projects of the Provincial Government and the 5 cities/municipalities of the Circuit: o Privatization of Bahia de Bais Hotel (Bais City) o Baslay Health and Wellness Spa (Dauin) o Traveller’s Lounge (Dumaguete City) o Manjuyod White Sandbar Resort (Manjuyod) o Privatization of Negros Oriental Convention Center (Provincial Government) o Boardwalk Viewpoint (Tanjay City) At the culmination of the DILG-LGSP-LED Program in April, 2016, NOCCI received a Plaque of Recognition from the Government of Canada (the only private sector organization recognized by the Government of Canada in the whole country) for its successful implementation of the LGSP-LED Program under the TIP Project.

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III.B JobStart Philippines in Dumaguete City – Funded by the Government of Canada in partnership with the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) September, 2015 to September, 2017

NOCCI partnered with the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) of the City of Dumaguete and the DOLE for the launching and implementation of JobStart Philippines. JobStart Philippines Program is an employment facilitation initiative of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) with funding support from the Government of Canada and technical assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The program aims to assist young Filipinos with career development pathways by creating opportunities to improve their technical skills and develop the life skills necessary for success in today’s competitive workplace through partnerships with NOCCI member-employers. JobStart Program was launched by NOCCI under the TIP Project in the presence of DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz and NOCCI member-employers in September 28, 2015 in Dumaguete City, Philippines. For 2015 and 2016, JobStart Program has conducted two (2) Life Skills and Career Development Trainings with a total of 295 registered participants and an employability/hiring rate of 85%. 250 graduates from Dumaguete City have already been employed by some of NOCCI’s member-employers. NOCCI is the only private sector partner of the City of Dumaguete and the DOLE for the implementation of the JobStart Program under the TIP Project.

III.C Coordinating Roads and Infrastructure Investments for Development (CR+ID) Program - Funded by Australian Aid (AusAid) thru The Asia Foundation (TAF) - January, 2015 to August, 2016

Thru the TIP Project, NOCCI in partnership with The Asia Foundation (TAF) and Australian Aid (AusAid) successfully implemented and completed the CR+ID (Coordinating Roads & Infrastructure Development) Program resulting in P4.5Billion of approved roads and infrastructure projects at the end of August, 2016 by both the Provincial Development Council of Negros Oriental and the Regional Development Council.

Although the CR+ID Program ended in August 15, 2016, NOCCI decided to continue the CR+ID Program under the TIP Project with all 24 LGUs in Negros Oriental after securing the full support of the League of Municipal Mayors (LMP) - Negros Oriental Chapter thru an LMP board resolution. NOCCI also turned over all the 24 completed GIS (Geographical Information Systems) maps under the CR+ID Project to all the 24 LGUs in Negros Oriental in preparation for the upcoming CRIPS Project in 2017 to ensure the continuity, sustainability and institutionalization of the CR+ID Process in identifying, prioritizing, approving and funding priority roads and infrastructure projects using the Value Chain Approach (VCA) and insulate all priority infrastructure projects from possible "political" influence and harassment by traditional politicians. The NOCCI-TAF CRID Program under the TIP Project resulted in the following 2016 approved roads and infrastructure projects:

Strategic Road Development Nos. of Roads Length (kms.) Budget (PhP) in Negros Oriental District 1 15 roads 131.73 kms. 1.31 Billion District 2 14 roads 104.43 kms. 1.04 Billion District 3 14 roads 93.02 kms. 970 Million Inter-Provincial Road 172.576 kms. 1.11 Billion Other Infrastructure Projects 112.25 Million TOTAL 4.5 Billion ($90M)

III.D Optimizing and Upscaling Roles in the Food Supply Chain (OURFood) Program - Funded by AFOS Foundation of Germany in partnership with Department of Science & Technology (DOST) and Department of (DA) October, 2014 to October, 2017

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Thru the TIP Project, NOCCI partnered with AFOS Foundation of Germany, DOST and DA to implement the OURFood Program together with the Municipalities of Valencia, , and La Libertad. For Years 2015 and 2016, the OURFood Program have already benefitted more than 500 vegetable, mango, and cacao farmers who have attended and participated in various GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) trainings. As a result of these GAP trainings, NOCCI successfully organized the Negros Oriental Organic Mango Growers Association ("NOrOMGA" for short) in 2015 composed of 50 small mango growers with 6,000 fruit bearing organic mango trees and the Negros Island Cacao Development Council ("NI-CDC" for short) in 2016 composed of more than 150 small cacao farmers in Negros Island. The AFOS OURFood Program is the flagship program of NOCCI for its advocacy on inclusive growth in agriculture under the TIP Project.

NOCCI also entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Calinawan United Farmers Association, Inc. (CUFAI) to assist 150 marginal vegetable farmers in the hinterlands of Calinawan and Dobdob, Valencia, Negros Oriental. NOCCI extended financial assistance to CUFAI for their 2-hectare cacao demo farm and nursery amounting to USD$2,000.

III.D.1 Creation of the Negros Oriental Food Safety Team (NOFST) and Implementation of the NOCCI-DOST SET-UP Program - Funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and AFOS Foundation of Germany

Thru the TIP Project, NOCCI partnered with the AFOS Foundation of Germany and the Philippine Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to create and establish the country's first Food Safety Team composed purely of teachers and professionals from the academe - the Negros Oriental Food Safety Team (NOFST) in January, 2015. For the Years 2015 and 2016, the NOFST has serviced more than 200 MSMEs in the food sector thereby safeguarding the health and safety of local food consumers.

In 2015 and 2016, a total of 11 NOCCI members availed of NOCCI-DOST's Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program ("SET-UP" for short), an "interest-free" equipment financing program for small food processors with expert technical assistance provided by the NOFST. The creation of the NOFST is one of the main advocacies and source of revenue of NOCCI in its pursuit of inclusive economic growth for micro-small food processors and agri-preneurs in the countryside.

III.E Shared Service Facility (SSF) Program, Reactivation of the Negros Oriental MSMED Council and Establishment of NEGOSYO (Business) Centers in Negros Oriental - funded by Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) January, 2015 to June, 2022

Thru the TIP Project, NOCCI partnered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on the Shared Service Facility (SSF) Program. The partnership resulted in the launching and installation of the first Retort Machine and Equipment costing P6Million ($120K) at the Food Innovation Building of NOCCI member, Foundation University sometime in July, 2016 as well as continuous product development trainings and marketing of locally made products by NOCCI members to the general public during the 1st and 2nd Negros Island Trade Fairs at the Robinsons Mall in July, 2015 and July, 2016.

In June, 2016, NOCCI reactivated the Negros Oriental Provincial Micro-Small Medium Enterprise Development (PSMED) Council. NOCCI President Edward C. Du was elected as Co-Chair of the Negros Oriental Provincial MSMED Council for a term of 1 year or until June 30, 2017, a council developed by the Department of Trade and Industry, the Province of Negros Oriental and NOCCI to promote the growth and welfare of the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

One of the main thrusts of the Provincial MSMED Council is the establishment of at least ten (10) NEGOSYO Centers in the various new growth areas of the Province of Negros Oriental. NEGOSYO Centers will be responsible for promoting the “ease of doing business and facilitating access to services for MSMEs within the area. Major responsibilities of the NEGOSYO Centers are Business Registration Assistance, Business Advisory Assistance, Business Information and Advocacy and Monitoring and Evaluation of MSMEs in the area.

In 2015 and 2016, NOCCI, DTI, and the Provincial SMED Council have already established 6 NEGOSYO Centers in Negros Oriental, 2 centers in Dumaguete City and 1 each in Bayawan City, Tanjay City, City and City.

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The word “NEGOSYO” is a Filipino word meaning "Business"; accordingly, NEGOSYO Centers are also known as BUSINESS One-Stop-Shop Centers (or B.O.S.S. for short in English)

III.F Tourism Promotions and Marketing Program funded by the Province of Negros Oriental (2016-2017)

In July, 2016, NOCCI received financial assistance of P2Million ($40,000) from the Provincial Government of Negros Oriental for their joint tourism promotions and marketing program. NOCCI conducted various meetings, dialogues and consultation with various tourism stakeholders to undertake the various tourism promotion and marketing projects which would include the production of promo collaterals such as videos and websites, media coverage from national TV shows, audio visual presentations to be broadcasted in airports, seaports and sea-crafts and exposures in social media through blog writers. The P2M financial assistance from the Province of Negros Oriental is the reward for NOCCI’s successful implementation of its TIP Project.

From July to December 2016, NOCCI facilitated the implementation of the various tourism promotion efforts of the province of Negros Oriental by coordinating and dealing with service providers to do the production of promo collaterals such as videos and websites for the local tourism, media coverage in national TV shows, audio visual presentations to be broadcasted in major ports (sea and air) and exposure in social media through local blog writers. The finalization and launching of the Negros Oriental tourism website and videos is scheduled this coming June, 2017.

III.G Trade, Tourism and Investment Mission to Labuan, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam in partnership with Brookespoint Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI), the Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PCCI) and the Labuan Chamber of Malay Entrepreneurs (LCME) April 1-8, 2016

Thru the TIP Project, NOCCI partnered with PCCI, Brookespoint Chamber of Commerce and the Labuan Chamber of Malay Entrepreneurs and led a 10-man Philippine trade delegation to Malaysia and Brunei in April 1-8, 2016.

The accomplishments of the special trade mission to Malaysia and Brunei were as follows:

 Conducted Business Matching activities and presentations on the Philippine Priority Investment Projects to the targeted investors/business groups in Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam;  Conducted Business Matching activities or B2B on Halal products from Negros Oriental and for trading in Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam and or vice-versa;  Established and forged business alliance with business groups in Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam for future trade, investment and tourism opportunities;  Bilateral Trade talks with Trade Ministers of both countries – Malaysia and Brunei; and  Established an alternative new barter trade route for Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei in view of the escalating security incidents in the southernmost tip of and Sabah.

III.H Hosting of the 1st International Business Exchange in Dumaguete City in partnership with the City Government of Dumaguete, Provincial Government of Negros Oriental and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PCCI) on November 23, 2015

In November 23, 2015, NOCCI organized the 1st International Business Exchange and hosted the Trade delegations from Alameda City, USA and Yeongdong-Gun, South Korea at Bethel Guest House, Dumaguete City pursuant to the Sister City Cooperation Program of NOCCI under the TIP Project. NOCCI members engaged in the manufacturing and production of organic muscovado sugar, virgin oil, organic coconut sugar and dried fruits were able to market their products to the foreign trade delegates.

III.I Hosting of the 24th Visayas Area Business Conference in Dumaguete City in partnership with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PCCI) in July 16-17, 2015

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NOCCI hosted and organized the 24th Visayas Area Business Conference 2015 (VABC) on July 16-17, 2015 in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental. It was a significant opportunity for Negros Oriental to showcase and promote tourism and investment potentials as the VABC was able to gather 20 business chambers from all over the Visayas region and some 150- 200 delegates attended the event at Bethel Guest House in Dumaguete City. The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) provided their administrative and financial support to the VABC by bringing in their top business executives and partners from Metro .

VABC was the venue for Visayas chamber leaders and business professionals to do business with local businessmen and exchange ideas and expertise on current business issues affecting the business sector specifically in the Visayas Area and the country as a whole.

III.J Environment Protection and Conservation Program thru Forest Restoration Projects in partnership with the world's biggest geothermal company, the Energy Development Corporation (EDC), and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) October, 2015 to October, 2025

In October, 2015, NOCCI partnered with one of its active members, the Energy Development Corporation (EDC), the Academe, selected LGUs, environmental NGOs, the , and the DENR to launch, campaign and implement the 10Million Trees in 10 Years Project ("10M in 10" for short), the biggest and most ambitious forest restoration project ever in Negros Island. From November, 2015 to December, 2016, 400,000 endemic seedlings have already been planted by NOCCI and its partners in various denuded areas all over Negros Island as well as in seaforests; 1,200 jobs were created.

NOCCI is also a partner of DENR in the Ilog-Hilabangan River Basin Rehabilitation Project encompassing 15 municipalities across Negros Island as well as the country’s biggest mechanized seedling nursery facility located in Banban, Ayungon, Negros Oriental. These three projects, the 10M in 10, the Ilog-Hilabangan River Basin Rehab, and the biggest mechanized seedling nursery facility are the three flagship PPP projects of NOCCI under its Renewable Energy (RE) and Change Reality Program to prepare Negros Island for the impact of climate change and at the same time make Negros Island the Renewable Energy capital of Asia with a healthy RE portfolio mix of solar, geothermal, wind, hydro and biomass (mix of sugarcane leaves, bagasse, & banagrass).

NOCCI is also actively advocating for zero coal power plants in Negros Oriental. Since climate change projects are labor-intensive, NOCCI's dream of eradicating poverty in Negros Oriental in the next 10 years will be easier to attain.

III.K Other Notable Investment Promotion and Business Development Accomplishments in 2015 & 2016

NOCCI successfully implemented the TIP Project thru aggressive investment promotion strategies and providing quality investor services or by simply "baby sitting" all investors thereby generating the following investments in 2015-2016:

 PhP 2.2B 3 Modern Hospitals in Dumaguete, Sibulan and Bayawan to boost Negros Oriental's attraction as a retirement haven and promote medical tourism with a combined hospital bed capacity of 450 new beds  PhP 25M – 6 convenience store outlets (Philippine Seven Corporation) in Dumaguete City  PhP 136M Commercial/Food Arcade along the Dumaguete City Boulevard  PhP 50M Commercial Arcade at the Dumaguete Business Park, Dumaguete City  PhP 170M new Resort Hotels in Dauin, Negros Oriental  PhP 40M Jollibee Fastfood Chain in Bais City  PhP 30M Jollibee Fastfood chain in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental  PhP 100M GAISANO Mall in Bais City, Negros Oriental  PhP 15M LANTAW Restaurant, the biggest restaurant in Dumaguete w/ 300 customers seating capacity  PhP 27B Energy Development Corp. 60-MegaWatt Geothermal Power Plant Expansion in Valencia,Neg.Or.  PhP 2B FilOil Depot in , Negros Oriental, the biggest fuel oil depot in the Philippines

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 PhP 1.5B URSUMCO Fuel Ethanol Plant of Universal Robina Sugar Milling Co. in Bais City, Negros Or.  PhP 20M DN Steel Factory in Valencia, Negros Oriental

Major Outcomes of the TIP Project:

Total Investments Generated by TIP Project from January, 2015 – December, 2016: PhP 41,146,000,000 ($823M) Total Jobs Generated by NOCCI for the period January 2015 – December 2016: 9,898 New Jobs Created (Target: 10,000) Total Financial Assistance Generated by NOCCI for the period January 2015 – December 2016: PhP 8,249,233 ($165K) NOCCI Members' Participation Rate: 80% Membership Recruitment for the last 2 years: 30 New Individual and Corporate Members & 4 Industry Association Members Total Membership as of December 2016: 169 (small chamber category)

Partners: All Local Government Units (LGUs), 30 National Government Agencies (NGAs), 10 Industry Associations, AFOS Foundation of Germany, AusAid, The Asia Foundation, Government of Canada, the Academe, Sister Cities of Alameda, USA and YeongdongGun, South Korea, 2 Sister Chambers of Commerce, 4 NGOs.

IV. The Relevance of the TIP Project in the Target Category and Why It Should be Selected as a Finalist in the 10th World Chambers Congress

After two (2) years of successful implementation in 2015 to 2016, the TIP Project should be selected as one of the finalists and presented in the 10th World Chambers Congress because the TIP Project has delivered an impressive set of relevant and gamechanging results not only for NOCCI but also for Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental as follows:

 Dumaguete City was ranked 5th Best Retirement Destination in the World by Forbes Magazine in 2015  Dumaguete City was ranked 93rd Best Outsourcing Destination in the World in 2016 by Tholon’s List of Business Process Outsourcing Destinations  Dumaguete City was ranked No. 1 Tourist Destination in 2016 (among independent Chinese travelers according to Agoda.com, a popular online booking site)  Dumaguete City was consistently ranked 10th New Wave City in the Philippines in 2015 and 2016 by the Business Process Association of the Philippines (BPAP), the Philippine Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)  Negros Oriental was ranked as the 9th Richest Province in the Philippines in 2016 by the Philippine Commission on Audit (COA). In 2012, Negros Oriental was ranked 9th Poorest Province in the Philippines

Clearly, the foregoing global impacts of the TIP Project deserves global recognition in the upcoming 10th World Chambers Congress as a finalist given the huge number of new jobs created (9,898) and the significant amount of local/foreign direct investments generated (US$880M) by a very small chamber with only 169 members in a very short period of two years.

V. Potential of the Project to be Successfully Adopted by other Chambers of Commerce throughout the World

The TIP Project can be easily replicated by other chambers of commerce throughout the world because many of the local business leaders have very strong influence in their local communities. Local chambers of commerce are very well- positioned to forge strong alliances with any funding institution or government agency given their proven business track record and inherent managerial skills. The TIP Project can be easily duplicated and copied by simply adopting a Public-Private- Partnership (PPP) business model and by bringing together all the private and public stakeholders under "one roof" (more popularly known as the "Chamber Roof") to work for a common advocacy or goal. Put simply, all the local chambers of commerce can potentially become the "Department or Ministry of Coordination" of every country in the world.

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