PH Investment Mission Promotes Cagayan Ecozone to US Trade, Business Community
Cagayan Export Zone Authority (CEZA) CEO Raul L. Lambino briefs US business community representatives on CEZA investment opportunities at a roundtable meeting held at the Philippine Embassy on 07 November 2017.
10 November 2017 WASHINGTON, D.C. — “We are here to look for partners in development. Come and be part of the change in the Philippines.”
This was the main theme and pitch of Secretary Raul L. Lambino, Administrator and Chief Executive Officer of the Cagayan Export Zone Authority (CEZA), who conducted a successful four-day investment mission in Washington DC from November 05 to 08.
The CEZA is a government-owned and controlled corporation tasked to manage the development of the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport (CSEZFP) into a self-sustaining industrial, commercial, investment, financial and tourism-recreational center with suitable retirement and residential areas. The Cagayan Freeport is located at the northeastern tip of the Philippines at the crossroads of international shipping routes interconnecting the West Coast of North America, the Far East and Southeast Asia.
In a roundtable meeting at the Embassy with members of the US business community, including representatives of the US-ASEAN Business Council; and in one-on-one business meetings, Secretary Lambino’s delegation showcased interesting business opportunities with attractive incentives and advantages for investors who would like to register with CEZA.
“In CEZA, we promise that we will take every step, one step farther,” Secretary Lambino said at the Embassy roundtable in reassuring potential locators and investors that CEZA is committed to creating a good investment environment.
“Invest in our projects, invest in CSEZFP, where there is no red tape, and where you will find the best possible conditions for doing business,” the Secretary added.
Secretary Lambino also pointed out that the Philippines is a critical entry point to over 600 Million people in the ASEAN Market and may be a natural gateway to the East–Asian economies. The country is likewise at the crossroads of international shipping and air corridors connecting Asia-Pacific and the Americas.
“With a brand new international airport soon to operate, and with Port Irene soon to be expanded, even as it undergoes major rehabilitation, the Cagayan Freeport promises to be a fantastic regional logistics and transshipment hub,” he told US business executives.
He further said that the airport and freeport are expected to be at the center of growing trade within the APEC region as well as the increasing intra-Asian trade. These will allow the economic zone to be accessible from international centers, and it will make it a smart alternative location for firms that operate on 21st century business practices.
It is also envisioned that the CSEZFP will be a vital catalyst in the development of northern Philippine provinces, as a full-service industrial, agro-industrial, commercial and tourism complex.
Secretary Lambino and his delegation likewise held meetings with officials of the US Department of Commerce, Office of the US Trade Representative, and the US Overseas Private Investment Corporation in order to explore possible synergies in enhancing and strengthening the already robust trade, economic and investment relations between the Philippines and the United States.
Secretary Lambino was joined on the mission by Raymundo Roquero, CEZA OIC Deputy Administrator for Planning, Business Development and Investment; and Geoffrey Aldrin Cabalza, CEZA Deputy Administrator for Operations. END
For more information, visit www.washingtonpe.dfa.gov.ph/ www.philippineembassy-usa.org or https://www.facebook.com/philippinesusa @philippinesusa on Twitter