Organized by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the VABC will bring together 23 local PCCI chambers from the Visayas region on July 25-26, 2024, at the Iloilo Convention Center, hosted by PCCI Iloilo.
This year’s event will focus on digital transformation, innovation, and sustainable development under the theme “Empowering Business Innovations for an Enriched One Visayas.“
CCCI President Jay Yuvallos, who will represent the chamber during the 33rd VABC, will participate in the panel discussion on the best practices of Visayas local chambers of commerce and industry in the Visayas.
Yuvallos will talk about the chamber’s leadership agenda and the transformative potential of digitalization in streamlining businesses.
The acronym LEAD refers to the four main components of the Leadership Agenda. LEAD stands for: Launch the Invest Cebu Brand (Prosper in Paradise), Engage the Whole Community in a Deeper Level (Inclusive Development), Active Partnerships (Everyone Celebrates in Cebu), and Develop an Innovative and Creativity Culture (In Trade, Industry/Manufacturing Service, IT-BPM, Sectoral).
According to Yuvallos, the purpose of the leadership agenda is to encourage businesses take actions consistent with the chamber’s programs.
CCCI President Mr. Jay Yuvallos
“These are not just programs that the people here are unfamiliar with. These are programs on the ground that we can (use to) identify the gaps because the vision statement of the chamber is to be the engine of Cebu’s economic growth toward global competitiveness. So, I’d like to punctuate these two words: global competitiveness. That is a fundamental matter to discuss because the world will not wait for us,” Mr. Yuvallos said in an interview.
Yuvallos will also stress the importance of developing an ecosystem for innovation and creativity.
“The world is getting very small. Borderless. E-commerce and digitalization – are game changers. It democratizes small businesses. You can now go to the international stage because there are platforms that you can join,” he stated.
He added that through digitalization, any small or medium-sized business can improve their people-initiative abilities and business skills to develop and market their products and services.
“Digitalization, digital tools, digital platforms—the answer to all of that is yes. It is essential now and will be necessary 5 to 10 years from now. It is not just a trend. It is a must. It’s helpful to the most prominent companies, but it is also essential for the smallest. Because it will be the springboard for growth, success, efficiency, and innovation, it should be back-end and front-end—not only e-commerce but also the business process,” Yuvallos explained.
With a target of 400 delegates, VABC will facilitate meaningful sessions, engaging discussions, and fruitful dialogues to foster economic growth and collaboration.
Ayala Corp Senior Manager and 2024 MAP President Jose Rene Almendras, CEO of Adviser, Inc.,, and the acclaimed “Mother of the BPO Industry” in the country Karen Batungbacal, and Cebu Pacific Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer Candice Iyog are part of the notable speakers who will join VABC’s plenaries.
Bunny Pages, Chairman and CEO of Pages Holdings, Inc., one of Cebu’s fastest-growing restaurant chains, will moderate VABC’s main plenary. Paolo Campos (Strategic Growth), Lee Carlo Abadia (Digital Transformation), Dr. Lance Tan (Innovation), and Neil Arnold Montesclaros (Family Enterprise) will lead the breakout sessions.
VABC participants will have a chance to get acquainted with fellow delegates through its pocket events and partnering with government and institutional partners.
On July 24, 2024, a Golf Tournament will be held at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club. The opening of the Iloilo Business Expo (ILOBEX) is simultaneous with the event. The expo will run until July 28 and highlight local brands through Taste Iloilo – a gastronomy festival by IHRRA, and the Iloilo Coffee Festival by the Iloilo Coffee Board.
Strengthening PCCI’S aim of building an inclusive and dynamic chapter in the Visayas region, the One Visayas Welcome Night for Negros Island Region (NIR) sponsored by RDC VI Chairperson Albee B. Benitez and co-presented by the RDC VI will occur on the 26th of July.
“PCCI Iloilo is humbled to host this premier conference in the Visayas. We aim to offer our guests a holistic experience of Iloilo, encompassing business, entertainment, and food, all staged at ICON. All for Iloilo and One Visayas,” expressed PCCI Iloilo President Fulbert Woo.
PCCI Area Vice President for Visayas Ms. Melanie Ng
VABC is one of the five major area business conference of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (PCCI).
This year’s conference promises to be a significant event for the Visayas region, promoting innovation and collaboration across various sectors.
The chamber delegates who will join this year’s most significant business convention in the Visayas will come from chambers based in Bacolod, Cebu, Bohol, Samar, Dumaguete, Siquijor, Mandaue, and Negros Oriental.
Registration for the conference is open to all, and PCCI Iloilo invites government officials, sectoral representatives, and youth leaders to join.
Visit [vabc.pcciiloilo.com](http://vabc.pcciiloilo.com) to register.
