PAGADIAN CITY (PIA) – The Pagadian City Zamboanga del Sur Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (PZCCIFI) announced the hosting of the 2024 Business Week and the first Zamboanga Peninsula Investment Conference (ZambOPen ICon) from July 29 to August 2, 2024.
Anchored on the theme “Ripples of Synergy,” the event symbolized the collective efforts of the public and private sectors to drive sustainable growth and innovation in the region.

PZCCIFI, known for its advocacy in fostering a business-friendly environment, aimed to leverage the event to highlight Pagadian City and the Zamboanga Peninsula as vibrant centers for business and investment. The conference brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders to explore new opportunities and address regional economic challenges.
PZCCIFI President Hazel Lu underscored a critical issue that local producers face in their business which is the need for investment. “Ang problema gyud sa ilaha [local producers], investors. Ang ilahang mga ideas are very good, ilahang mga project proposals are very good but kulang sa financing. That’s why we need investors,” she said.
(The main problem for local producers is finding investors. Their ideas and project proposals are very good, but they lack financing.)
The conference hoped to address this gap by connecting local entrepreneurs with potential investors, thereby unlocking new growth avenues for the region.

On its first day, July 29, the event kicked off with a trade fair that featured 39 exhibitors showcasing local products. Many of these exhibitors are supported through the One Town, One Product (OTOP) program of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Provincial Director Marlon Alabata of DTI Zamboanga del Sur highlighted the importance of these fairs, stating, “this is a way of training them to look forward to new markets. With the Business Week and ZambOPen ICon, we hope that investors will see that there are products that can be even exported abroad,” he said.
The event aimed to catalyze regional economic growth by fostering innovation and collaboration across various sectors, including Information and Communications Technology (ICT), micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), tourism, agriculture, and more. For additional details, the public may visit the official Facebook page of the PZCCIFI via https://tinyurl.com/4ww8ndrs (EDT/HTB/PIA9-Zamboanga del Sur)