Chinese investors asked to put in Capital in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines —  Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino has invited foreign investors from China to invest in Cebu and other parts of the Visayas.

Speaking during the Governors/Mayors' Forum of Fujian-ASEAN Friendship Provinces/Cities Conference and Online Signing Ceremony, Dino encouraged  the business sector in the Fujian Province to look at Cebu and the rest of the Visayas as a prospective site for investment.

The OPAV secretary also urged foreign investors to participate in the Duterte administration’s Build, Build, Build program as infrastructure projects under this program can help stimulate the Visayan economy.

 Dino particularly asked the Chinese investors to invest in livestock industry, especially in Cebu where demands for hogs are high. He said the province remains free from the African Swine Flu (ASF) virus until now.

 “Luckily, Cebu has been spared from contamination of ASF. Because of this, Cebu hogs are in high demand since Cebu island is considered as ASF-free. Maybe Fujian businessmen can explore avenues for investment in the Cebu livestock industry,” Dino said.

Dino mentioned the challenges faced by the Visayas due to the COVID-19 pandemic wherein Cebu is now the country’s showcase in the fight against the virus.

He said that the country is thankful to the Chinese government’s support amid these difficult times. The president’s alter ego in the Visayas told the Chinese audience how the national government had been helping local government units to address the health crisis.

According to him, the national government has dispensed funding for the augmentation of medical personnel and increasing isolation facilities in the provinces.

“Living with the new normal will pose many challenges ahead, especially since the vaccine for the virus might not be accessible at the same time to the entire world population," Dino said, adding that the pandemic is a challenge that we must all face together.

Dino likewise thanked the Fujian government and the Chinese for the continued support to the Cebuanos and the Visayas.

He said Filipinos share many of their cultural traits with their ASEAN neighbors, including those from Fujian, where most Chinese Filipinos trace their ancestry from, including him.

While things may seem difficult now, he believes that the friendship the Fujian government has always shown to the Visayans and to Cebu will remain.

“It is hoped that we will continue to maintain the strong friendship and relationship shared by Fujian, the Visayas, and Cebu in particular, in the coming years, just as we have always done for the past decades,” said Dino, who congratulated Fujian Governor Wang Ning.

 The event aims to further strengthen the relationship between the Fujian Province and the ASEAN cities and provinces.

 The Fujian Province is a sister city of Cebu and had donated medical masks to Cebuanos in the early months of the pandemic.

  Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Tren~as and Mandaue City Jonas Cortes also attended the event. — FPL (FREEMAN)