CCCI’s BMO Launching Features Manual, Milestones

WE CAN, the first partnership project of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce & Industry with Germany’s AFOS Foundation for Entrepreneurial Development Cooperation, saw its inception in August 2009. A chamber and association development project, WE CAN utilizes a two-pronged approach in capacitating its partner business membership organizations (BMO) in the Visayas&Caraga to contribute to the improvement of the framework conditions for micro, small and medium enterprises in their localities.

• Internal chamber and association development – CCCI (as Big Sibling) provides coaching and training to the BMO partners (Small Siblings) in the various aspects of chamber management, namely : Advocacy, Membership Development, Business Development and internal management;

• Sector Unit Approach – partner BMOs are supported in developing and promoting their chosen industry sectors through training, provision of local and international technical experts, marketing support, networking and other interventions.

Partner BMOs in the Visayas and Caraga are the following : Association of Negros Producers (Negros Occidental), Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Siquijor Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Bohol Association of Hotels, Resorts & Restaurants, Ormoc City Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Butuan-Agusan Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Bislig City Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation & Development through sequa. WE CAN is now on its 2nd phase of implementation and is set to end in July 2015.

Milestones in Chamber & Association Development

• The CCCI Bantayan Chapter was established as a major intervention for the economic recovery of Bantayan Island after Typhoon Yolanda. As one of its first projects, the CCCI Bantayan Chapter oversees the implementation of the training of 175 out-of-school-youth (OSY) from August to November 2014 on carpentry, housekeeping, and food and beverage handling. This project is funded by the International Labor Organization and AFOS Foundation. CCCI and its Bantayan chapter shall assist in the graduates’ job placement. Another project managed by the chapter is the “Call for Proposals” participated in by 10 puroks in the 4 municipalities covering community livelihood projects. Winning proposals shall be granted funding for their projects.

• The “Holistic Coalition of the Willing” (HoliCOW) comprised by suppliers and manufacturers of furniture and handicraft made from indigenous and recycled materials was created under WE CAN. Activities of the HoliCOW such as design and product development, formulation of a Sustainability Checklist for the Creative Sector and market linkages culminate in a roving exhibit called “CRAFT ACT” in four German cities from September 2014 until February 2015. CRAFT ACT looks beyond the horizon of the pure product. It reviews the production conditions in detail. The terms of sustainability will become transparent and show the individual state of each company. The exhibition is expected to generate more orders from the German market after creating better awareness of the products and the story behind them. The event is funded by the BMZ and is done in partnership with the German organization, Heimat design.

• In line with itsinterregional approach to promote its various Tourism Sector Units and in support of the Community-based Tourism (CBT) projects in the Visayas and Caraga, WE CAN partneredwith the University of Koblenz in Germany in the conduct of Cultural Mapping activities from August 19 to November 10, 2014through its university student Ms. Kathryna Li De Leon, a Master in Cultural Sciences (in photo, sampling native Cebuano food in Alonguinsan).

• Sector Units of various partner chambers and associations were established with project support for the engagement of a Sector Unit Counselor and with funding for its activities. Sector units of the partner BMOs are : Negros Occidental – Gifts, Toys & Handicrafts and Natural & Organic Sector; Negros Oriental – Tourism, Processed Food and Woven Products; Siquijor – Tourism; Bohol – Tourism; Cebu – Creative Sector; Ormoc – Tourism; Butuan – Tourism, High Value Crops, Processed Food; Bislig – Processed Food.The focus of the Negros Island partners on natural and organic products and processed food gave birth to the second CCCI-AFOS partnership project, OURFood.

• Chamber Exchange on the Naga City Business Registry Databank (NCBRD) model resulted in the similar partnerships between chambers and LGUs in Butuan City and Bislig City for the management and maintenance of their respective Business Registry Databanks.The BRDs are examples of LGU-BMO partnership, where specific LGU services are outsourced to the BMO with the end in view of actively involving the private sector in local economic development.