Key stakeholders from the public and private sectors are expected to unveil initiatives that drive inclusive growth and innovation in Western Visayas during the series of events lined up for the Iloilo Business Month 2025.

The events running from July until August anchors on the theme “Empowering Possibilities, Elevating Progress” that seeks to position Iloilo as a rising hub for business leadership and transformation.

In an interview on Wednesday, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Iloilo chapter president engineer Fulbert Woo said the business month touches all sectors that evolve in the business ecosystem.

“We are hoping that the noise and programs can be seen by, probably, local government units and national government agencies, that the private sector is a potential partner in the development of the city and province. We don’t look at only the business side but also our human resources,” he said.

Among the events are the “Iloilo Businessserye,” a series of videos about the journeys of successful entrepreneurs with impacts on their communities, available through the PCCI social media platform starting July 16; and the Innovators Summit to support the startup program of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) from July 31 to Aug. 2.

“The Innovators Summit combines startups and businesses. We envision to have an Angel Funder in Iloilo, where we recognize potential startups or innovation businesses that we can fund to be part of their business,” Wo said.

There will be a What’s Up Western Visayas on July 18, which will bring together industry leaders, entrepreneurs and change makers to explore innovation, collaboration and sustainable growth; and a Coffee Festival on July 17-20.

Other events are an empowerment seminar for participants to discover their leadership potential and shift toward a more proactive, empowered mindset on July 4; Artificial Intelligence Festival on Aug. 11 to 13; industry business matching highlighting coffee on Aug. 9; Agrinnovate 2.0 focusing on coconut on Aug. 25-29; and Tax Congress.

On Tuesday, PCCI co-presented the Western Visayas Business Conference and Expo 2025, organized by the Department of Trade and Industry in Western Visayas, in partnership with the Economic Development Committee of the Regional Development Council.

“This is a big help for us because this impacts various sectors and not just the business group,” Woo said, adding that the expo marked the soft start of their series of events for the Iloilo Business Month 2025.

The expo, which convened key players from government, industry, and the business sector for strategic discussions, capacity-building sessions, and networking, coincided with the observance of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Week. (PNA)