Iloilo Well Poised to Attract More Investors

I've been to Visayas a couple of times. Over the years, we've seen how the island grows faster. 

The British Chamber of Commerce Philippines (BCCP) wants to bring 50 companies to the Visayas region for a trade mission in Iloilo with the aim of attracting more investors particularly the British firms.

The chamber led a trade mission in Davao City and brought 50 companies last year. Two investors showed interest while others are still discussing. BCCP wants to bring more investors and expects half of the members of the trade mission would be British firms.

“Why the Visayas? While the Philippines continues to enjoy a high growth rate, the Visayas, according to Neda, is enjoying an even higher growth rate,” Nelson said.

According to a statement from the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), the region is expected to grow by 7.7-8.3 percent over the next five years. The entire country is expected to grow 7-8 percent annually until the end of the Duterte administration in 2022.


Iloilo City offers a lot of opportunities in agribusiness, manufacturing and information and communications technology. The city has also been part of the 10 most competitive cities in the past few years, according to the National Competitiveness Council.