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MANILA, Philippines – The country’s newly designated members to the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) have called on government to push for the implementation of the roll-on roll-off (RO-RO) nautical highway project and the establishment of the Asean Trade and Investment Center (ATIC) to improve the country’s competitiveness as an investment destination in the region.

Representing the Philippines in the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) are the country’s top business leaders Manny V. Pangilinan, Teresita Sy-Coson and Jay Yuvallos.

The country’s representatives to the ASEAN-BAC, the private sector advisory to ASEAN, have pushed for these measures as the Philippines ranked among the least preferred investment destinations in the region in its recent survey.

To counter this image, the country’s ASEAN-BAC representatives are proposing at localizing the ASEAN-wide agenda to promote both national and firm-level competitiveness.

To facilitate the growth of SMEs, Pangilinan, Coson and Yuvallos, are supporting the proposal of the Council to set-up an ASEAN Trade and Investment Center (ATIC) in each country, which will serve as business incubator and trading house, specifically for SMEs to be able to undertake export and import activities and expand their market and presence in the region. Among others, the ATIC will develop programs and push forward policy initiatives aimed at improving SMEs’ access and capacity to use information systems in their operations.

Coson, who is strongly pushing for the Philippine TIC said, “The ATIC should be able to provide the platform that will enable local SMEs to take advantage of the ASEAN market of an estimated 600 million-strong consumers with a combined GDP of $1.5 trillion.”

The Philippine-BAC is partnering with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), in setting-up the ATIC.

In addition, to ensure that the country is integrated with the rest of the region, the Philippine-BAC is championing the roll-on, roll-off (RO-RO) nautical transportation project, which will efficiently integrate the Philippine maritime system with the ASEAN and the East Asian regions.

Pangilinan, who chairs the Philippine BAC explained, “RO-RO was able to improve the mobility of people and goods and brought down shipping cost by 30 to 40 percent in the Philippines. It effectively enhanced trade and tourism and opened more economic opportunities for the provinces in the country.”

Pangilinan added, “Adapting the same concept in the region will ultimately benefit areas in the maritime routes and help archipelagic countries greatly benefit from ASEAN’s integration.”

Dr. Enrico Basilio, who chairs the Infrastructure Committee of the PCCI and who sits at the ASEAN High Level Task Force on Connectivity (AHLTFC) as the alternate of Amb. Cesar Bautista, presented the project to the ASEAN-BAC, supported by the Philippine members.

ASEAN-BAC has given the green light to include the RO-RO project in its recommendations to the ASEAN Economic Ministers, whom it is meeting in August in Manado, and with the ASEAN Leaders at the ASEAN Summit in October this year.

To showcase outstanding Philippine companies, the Philippine BAC is keen on promoting the ASEAN Business Awards (ABA) among local companies this year.

The ABA is an annual award which recognizes successful ASEAN companies that are contributing significantly to the region’s economic growth and prosperity.

Since its inauguration in 2007, Philippine companies have consistently made it to the finals with Zest-O garnering the award in the large enterprise-innovation category in 2007 and Alliance Global for the large enterprise-growth category in 2009.

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