Pacquiao-led SAVE Act viral out next week

Lobbying efforts for the US Congress’ approval of the Save Our Industries or SAVE Act would go viral, with no less than pound-for-pound king Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao starring in the infomercial.

Lucita Reyes, Board of Investments executive director, on Wednesday said that the infomercial would be posted on social networking sites Facebook and Twitter next week.

She added that the infomercial was shot in General Santos City last week with Pacquiao, the only boxer to win eight world boxing titles in as many weight divisions, agreeing to endorse the SAVE Act for free.

The passage of SAVE Act would allow duty-free entry to the US of certain Philippine-made clothing made of fabric sourced from the US, while those made from US yarn would be slapped lower tariff.

Once the SAVE Act becomes law, garment exports to the US in two years are expected to bounce back to $3-billion levels and employment in the industry would go up to 600,000.

The government is aiming to get the current US Congress’ nod in a lame-duck session.

Trade Undersecretary and Board of Investments (BOI) Managing Head Cristino Panlilio earlier said that Pacquiao’s huge following among Filipinos and Americans would boost the chances of getting the American legislators’ stamp of approval on the SAVE Act.

“The general response was, 95 percent [of US legislators were] very much in favor of SAVE Act, as both the US and Philippine garments industries would grow,” he added.

Panlilio was in the US in September, during which he sought support for the bill from about 21 legislators.

In November, Reyes and officials of the industry group Confederation of Garment Exporters of the Philippines (Congep) were on a two-week US trip to meet with the American legislators as well as with leaders of Filipino-American communities in the state of Arizona and the cities of Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., in a bid to gain more support for SAVE Act. –Ben Arnold O. De Vera, Reporter, Manila Times