CEBU CITY: Despite the ongoing political crisis caused by the suspension of Governor Gwendolyn “Gwen” Garcia of Cebu, the business community in the province remains upbeat.

The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) said that “it is business as usual” for them as businesses in the province were spared from the effects of the political rift between Garcia and Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, who is now acting as Cebu’s governor.

CCCI President Prudencio Gesta said that the business sector does not intervene in political squabbles, adding that they are just leaving the matter to the courts.

“As far as the business sector is concerned, we are not disrupted by this political issue now and we are just focusing on our business activities,” he added.

However, Gesta said that the local business community is confident that the political crisis would be resolved immediately, adding that the problem will be “short lived” and will not “drag on for years.”

“It’s the call of the court and we just leave it as is, and we are also anxious that the issue be resolved very soon,” he added.

In fact, the CCCI is pushing Cebu as the country’s next business hub by continuously holding trade expeditions to lure foreign investors.

And one of CCCI’s initiatives is the hosting of the two-day 27th Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) conference, which will be held in Cebu City on March 14.

 Gesta explained that through this event, Cebu could be the next economic hub given its geographical location and attractive business climate.

“We just want to bring CACCI to Cebu to open up investments for the province and neighboring towns, and for the Philippines as a whole,” he said.

Gesta also said that the hosting of the CACCI conference is an initiative of the chamber and there is no any funding coming from the local government of Cebu.

“In fact when we bidded for CACCI [hosting], we were not told by the local government to cost it, it’s our own initiative,” he said.

For his part, CACCI Director General David Liu said that the conference would open doors for more investments in the province, adding that at least 400 foreign delegates are expected to attend it.

 With the theme “Asia Pacific: Catalyst to Global Recovery,” global business leaders attending the conference are expected to dialogue on policy responses to the changing conditions at home and abroad, that the participants can adapt to ensure growth and macroeconomic stability in the region.

 Joe Ng, the overall chairman of the 27th CACCI conference, explained that the event is being held annually to discuss regional economic cooperation measures, and to distill and crystallize business viewpoints with the aim of achieving economic cooperation and development in the region.