delivering on the promises

At the beginning of this year, the Board of Trustees and the Professional Team of the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce had set the task for 2006.

We have agreed among ourselves that our commission for the next twelve months is not merely to hold office and make ourselves comfortable. We understood that we are here in order to enable the members and the business community of Cagayan de Oro to run their enterprises more amply, with greater vision, and with a finer spirit of cooperation, hope and achievement. Tonight we shall measure ourselves up against the agenda that we have established.

2006 has seen the chamber work up on its heels as we performed according to the 8-point agenda we have set at the beginning of the year.

We made stands on issues for Business Policy Advocacy. We helped set up the Family Welfare at the Workplace. We strengthened Small & Medium Enterprise Development. We pursued our Membership and Chamber Development & Promotion. We started the establishment of the European Chamber of Commerce Office in the Oro Chamber. We took the industry lead for Information & Communications Technology Development. We conducted various Business and Trade Missions with the City Government. We did preliminary work on the Oro Chamber Business Development Centre at Pueblo de Oro.

Policy Advocacy
The ORO CHAMBER worked for specific policy directions that would best serve its members and the business community where it belongs. We gave statements on issues and significant matters through its position papers, petition statements, and board resolutions. Among those we sponsored this year are the position papers on the full adoption of the full implementation of the Environmental Guarantee Fund mechanisms of DENR, the review on the procurement method of goods and supplies by the government through DBM, the minimum wage and the proposed Php75.00 across-the-board increase affecting Cagayan de Oro City and Region 10, and the review of the new BIR zonal valuation for Cagayan de Oro City and Misamis Oriental.

Enterprise Development TrainingsORO CHAMBER remained to be open for the conduct of enterprise development trainings. We partnered with other organizations and would continue to do so in order to be able to deliver capacity building activities to members and non-members alike. Not only are we looking outside of the organization, but our management and professional team also conducted an in-house chamber management workshop among ourselves last January.

Trade Missions
ORO CHAMBER moved for cooperation among chambers of commerce & industry and business associations in the Philippines and abroad. Trade missions yielded business inquiries for possible joint ventures and investment locations in the area. ORO CHAMBER partnered with the Cagayan de Oro City leaders and business leaders. This year we conducted foreign trade missions to India and Germany last June and to Australia and New Zealand last October.

Sisterhood Agreements
To pursue specific gains from missions, ORO CHAMBER signed agreements for cooperation with foreign chambers of commerce. It tied up with the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines for the establishment of the ECCP desk in ORO CHAMBER to boost business development activities. We also signed a chamber sisterhood agreement with the Australia Philippine Chamber of Commerce in Sydney. We are reinforcing our partnership with the American Filipino Chamber of Central Florida and we started to discuss about future ventures on establishing Cagayan de Oro as a retirement haven for Central Florida. We are looking forward to visiting them next year and strengthen this sister partnership.

Trade Fairs and Conferences
With the Premier Events Plus Group, ORO CHAMBER was a cooperator last June for the Mindanao 2006 Food Processing & Packaging Technology Expo which brought to southern Philippines a world-class exhibition showcasing products and services for the food industry.

We actively promoted Cagayan de Oro City as the ICT Goldmine of the country and hosted the most successful ever Mindanao Information & Communications Technology Congress. We worked starting January and delivered a full-packed 5th MICT Congress that could match a national congress with our roster of distinguished speakers, first-of-a-kind quiz show, exhibition and trade fair, job fair, and an extensive 2-day program. Partnering with us were the Mindanao Business Council, Mindanao Economic Development Council, Cagayan de Oro City Government, and the Regional Information Technology & E-Commerce Committee. Vice President for Chamber Relations Elpie Paras was our Congress Director.

We also staged the 1st Northern Mindanao Business Summit on ICT last June, and we plan to make this an annual event. Work has already started for the 2nd Northern Mindanao Business Summit on ICT and we look forward to be with you again on June 2007.

Business Development Centre
ORO CHAMBER has started its biggest project – the construction of the Business Development Centre. To stand in the 2,700sqm piece of land donated by the Pueblo de Oro Development Corporation, the Centre will be the chamber quarters and the venue for training and business development. We had the official launching of the area last June and the ceremonial pouring of the cement of the first columns last October 29, on the celebration of our Chamber’s 21st foundation anniversary. Vice President for Business Development Al Brito is our Chairman for this project.

Oro Chamber Bus
ORO CHAMBER acquired, through the assistance of the city government of Cagayan de Oro, a service bus which will help us service visitors and guests in their trips to potential investment areas of the city. We are still finalizing our rules and policies regarding the bus, as we plan to maximize its use, which may include future industry visits to our members.

The OBE Awards
Tonight we award the deserving winners to our Outstanding Business Enterprise Awards 2006 to cap an annual search as we recognize the contribution of homegrown establishments in the local economy. Trustee Bing Juarez is our Project Chairman for this activity and she will discuss this more thoroughly later tonight.

Academe-Industry Forum
With the economic revolution brought about by business process outsourcing, we organized the first Academe-Industry Forum in partnership with the Capitol University to provide the venue for colleges to discuss with industry players a possible linkage for an ICT incubation program for students. We gathered representatives from colleges and universities as well as from large corporations and ICT companies and together we discussed how to prepare our human resources for the ICT industry.

Workplace Family Welfare ProgramORO CHAMBER recognized employee productivity as an important component of business profitability and therefore identified this program. Implemented for the whole year of 2006, the program provide the needed training and technical assistance to 25 member companies along data generation and services delivery in their workplace family welfare programs. In partnership with PRISM, we were able to witness two member companies launch their family welfare programs. The Oro Chamber looks forward to expanding and this project next year.

CORE Project
We began this year the Creation of Opportunities and Resources Management for Enterprises or CORE Program. It aims to provide interventions along trainings, policy consultations, product development, and strengthening of our chamber organization. A component of this program is supported by the PROPEL Development Program of Senator Francis Pangilinan. Through the CORE-PROPEL Project, we were able to sustain our Good Business Forums. Geared to provide a venue for dialogue on current issues, Good Business Forums are conducted every third Thursday of the month. Offered free of charge as a special service to members, the invites notable speakers and discusses varied topics suggested by members.
Information Services and Assistance Desk
ORO CHAMBER released regular publications for distribution to its members and partners in order to provide the avenue for reporting chamber updates and developments. We are already preparing for the updating of our website which will bring ORO CHAMBER and its members to the world. We encourage you also to give us your email address – we have started our info dissemination system through the internet for faster delivery to you.

As part of our assistance desk to members, we provided services, free of charge, to our micro, small and medium enterprises as they file their requirements for registration to the Micro Business Enterprise Program of the government. ORO CHAMBER also continued to issue Certificates of Origin for exporters and we can pride ourselves for fast and efficient service.

Dynamic Chamber Management
To handle projects and provide services effectively, ORO CHAMBER is fortunate to have a dedicated management and professional team. Your Board of Trustees met once a month at the minimum, and special meetings have become a norm rather than the exception. Each quarterly general membership meeting of ORO CHAMBER had been organized for increased network and business opportunities for all members.

ORO CHAMBER continues to be the Voice of Business in Cagayan de Oro City and Northern Mindanao. As it is my pleasure to be presenting to you this annual accomplishment report, it is also my personal pride to be serving for it.

2006 has been a good year. To all the members of the board, the active and supportive members, our perennial sponsors and donors, our city mayor, and all our partners - thank you very much for being a part of it. Mabuhay tayong lahat.

* The annual report presented to the General Membership during the 4th Quarter Meeting on December 8 at the Grand Caprice Restaurant.