PCCI backs population management

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) expressed support yesterday for the proper management of the population.

“We are pro-management of the population,” PCCI committee chairman Samuel Lim said in a press conference.

The issue on reproductive health will be part of the resolution presented to President Aquino next Friday during the last day of the Philippine Business Conference (PBC).

The Aquino administration is advocating population control while the Catholic Church strongly opposes artificial methods of birth control.

PCCI president Francis Chua said that aside from reproductive health, the other legislative agenda includes electricity rate reduction, the environment and mining.

Aside from the yearly presentation of the resolution to the sitting president, the PCCI will likewise launch the Matrix Program Partners also known as the Philippine Business Matrix.

Chua said that the PCCI will help match small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to big corporations. SMEs can supply the needs of the big corporations thereby providing business to SMEs.

Aside from business matching, the program could also help SMEs access funds from banks.

Chua said that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has agreed to be very lenient with banks in terms of lending.

He said that the BSP has agreed to relax the law on monetary provisions. Under the law, banks must put in certain monetary provisions for every loan granted in order to avoid bank runs and other problems.

Chua said that this particular provision will be relaxed. Likewise, loans under this can qualify under the agri/agra provisions of banks.

When asked to explain how this particular provision will not be abused, Chua said that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) would be providing insurance. He refused to give more details.

The PBC will be held at the Manila Hotel from Oct. 13 to 15 with the theme‚ “One. Global. Filipino. Creating Synergy for Competitiveness.‚”

The 36th PBC will serve as a platform to leverage the business response to the President’s‚ 100-day agenda, which was complemented by PCCI‚’s business and economic agenda. Mr. Aquino is expected to give his response to the resolutions that the PCCI will submit to him during the third day of the summit. –Ma. Elisa Osorio (The Philippine Star)