Yokohama City, MCDCB Host Business Matching Forum

On March 9, 2018 the City of Yokohama, Japan, with the assistance of the Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board – Research, Program, and Organization Development Program Management Office (MCDCB – RPOD PMO) held a business forum and networking event entitled “Y-Port Solutions and Strategies for Metro Cebu” at the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc.

The forum brought together the private sector of Yokohama and Metro Cebu and Metro Cebu LGUs and NGAs to meet and discuss possible solutions to address problems concerning the development of Metro Cebu focused on Sustainable Solid Waste Management Solutions, Technologies for Green Building, and Disaster Reduction and Prevention.

The seminar aimed to gather a common understanding of the challenges in Cebu related to Waste Management, Green Buildings, and other urban issues and at the same time exchange views and ideas towards project formulation to tackle urban issues utilizing resources of multilateral development banks. Presenters from Metro Cebu and the City of Yokohama provided national, local, and international perspectives, practices, challenges, and solutions to the given themes.

“The private sector plays a vital role in the development of a city-region. For the sector to have a meaningful engagement and contribution in addressing challenges concerning the city-region, it is important for them to be actively involved in the planning process and participate in discussions with the government and its partner institutions from different sectors,” said Evelyn Nacario-Castro, Director of the MCDCB – RPOD Program Management Office.

Mr. Masakazo Okuno, Director of the Development Cooperation Division, International Affairs Bureau, expressed his gratitude to MCDCB in his closing remarks. Also present in the forum were MCDCB RPOD Execom Chair Mr. Alan Gordon Joseph, Mayor Lakambini Reluya of the Municipality of San Fernando, and MCDCB Co-Chair for the Private Sector and RAFI President and COO Ms. Dominica B. Chua.