TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines- For Tuguegarao Mayor Jefferson Soriano, the swarming in of new and big investments in the city won’t be affecting small local businesses.
In an interview with reporters during an event at the SM Center Tuguegarao Downtown (SMTD), Mayor Soriano said he has a “different perspective” in the relationship of big investors, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Soriano was reacting to statements that the entry of investments like the country’s top supermalls will “kill” its local “competitors.”
“The Chambers of Commerce also asked that question na don’t you think your local businesses will be threatened by the coming in. But I said I am looking at it at a different perspective,” Soriano said.
He said the bigger businesses will make smaller players to be “more competitive,” adding that the latter will step up in its production and service.
“So with the coming in of all these, we will be going to be competitive. If before, they are not serving well their customers, now they will serve them well because there is now competition,” Soriano said.
He added, “Imagine, if we will not open Tuguegarao City, we will be lagging behind in the progress. And our people will be very complacent with the products that they have, they are not going to be competitive.”
The mayor said he also urged bigger stores to buy local products for their businesses.
With the expected entry of big establishments, including five star hotels, Soriano said they are making fast with their infrastructure programs to cope up with the demand.
He also said they are crafting new policies on the incentives to new investors in order to make up with the competition against other cities. Northernforum.net
