Ilocos Norte governor slates China, Hawaii visit to gain investors

By Leilanie Adriano

LAOAG CITY – Ilocos Norte Gov. Matthew Joseph Manotoc on Wednesday bared his plan to visit China and Hawaii in the US this year to discuss investment opportunities with the two major economies.
    Through the visit, Manotoc said he hopes to entice more investors from China and Hawaii, and deepen cooperation and explore trade, tourism and education exchanges with them.
    As Shandong province in China is a sister province of Ilocos Norte, Manotoc said his personal visit will further strengthen the relationships between the two cities as he intends to encourage more Chinese enterprises to invest and seek opportunities in Ilocos Norte, particularly on agriculture, infrastructure, renewable energy and people-to-people exchanges.    
    During his visit to Ilocos Norte last November, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian praised Ilocos Norte, the hometown of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., for its "marvelous scenery, intelligent and hard-working people, and rich resources.”
    After China, Manotoc said he also plans to visit Hawaii, the home of many Ilocano immigrants including his family when they went into exile.
    “I want to invite our balikbayans back home. If there are doctors out there, maybe they can work with us in our hospitals and the Provincial Health Office,” Manotoc said.
    In support of the President’s earlier pronouncement to make the Philippines a “top investment destination,” Ilocos Norte is currently offering various fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to investors.
    This includes exemptions from paying real property taxes and incentivizing enterprises that engage in environment-friendly practices as well as those that employ locals. The provincial Investment Office likewise provides pre-investment and investor servicing programs to help new and existing businesses.
    Among the services offered is the provision of relevant market information, site visits to potential investment hubs, and assistance in identifying properties for lease.
    The Marcos administration also seeks to open up more opportunities for high-value investments, with a focus on broad-based job creation and expansion of digital infrastructure, research and development.
    The provincial government earlier set up the province's first incubation center located on the second floor of the Tabacalera Food Park, across the provincial capitol building to assist budding micro, small and medium entrepreneurs to develop and improve their business.
    In partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Science and Technology, and state-run Mariano Marcos State University, all interested entrepreneurs who want to improve and promote their products to a wider market are welcome at the incubation center that is equipped with office tables, and computers with internet.
    It also serves as a one-stop shop for business-to-business transactions and establishing linkages. -- PNA