As I serve as a Consultant to the newly established Baguio Business Club, I have felt a certain kind of déjà vu.  I see in those initial 20 members of the club an image of those patriotic young business executives, media personalities and academics who almost half a century ago established the Makati Business Club.  A good number of them have already left this world:  Enrique Zobel, Jimmy Ongpin, Joe Romero, Henry Esteban, Jayjay Calero, Rolly Pantaleon and Maning Reyes.  Most of them still in their forties then responded to the call of business tycoon Enrique Zobel to establish an association of professionals involved in the business world in one way or another that will do their best to promote the common good of society, even at the cost of their respective business vested interests. They were very conscious that they were not establishing another business chamber or industry association that exists to promote the legitimate vested or sectoral interests of their respective businesses or industries.

  The business chambers of industry associations are a necessary component of a democratic society in which each stakeholder must articulate what promotes its legitimate vested interest that must be balanced with the interests of other stakeholders like labor, the government, civil society, the academe, the religious community and others.  In contrast, a business club as was defined by the founders of the Makati Business Club must work for the common good of the entire society, even if business has to sacrifice its own vested interest.  Examples of such causes are good governance, protecting the physical environment, fighting mass poverty, or achieving food security. Because of the adverse political environment in 1981 resulting from the dictatorial rule of then President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr., it was understandable that the first major effort of the Makati Business Club was to battle against “crony capitalism,” a phrase that was coined by the late Jimmy Ongpin.

            Since I was part of the founding group of the Makati Business Club, I can attest to the desire of the pioneers that the concept of a business club be replicated at the regional level.  Some of the first to respond to this call were Cebu, Iloilo, Batangas and Palawan.  From my experience, the most successful replication was that of the Iloilo Business Club that was one of the positive forces behind the transformation of the Greater Iloilo Area into one of the best metropolitan districts in the country today.  I have the conviction, upon seeing how dedicated are the organizers of the Baguio Business Club to their mission and vision, that the BBC will achieve the same success as the Iloilo Business Club.  It is a happy coincidence that the very first major project they have taken upon themselves is to help all the stakeholders of the BLISST (Baguio, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba, and Tublay) area in   building a megapolis similar to the Greater Iloilo Area which is a model for urban planning.  The vision of BBC is a “united, resilient, and forward-thinking business community driving inclusive, sustainable, and innovative growth across the BLISST area, built upon a new generation of ethical and excellence-driven leaders.”

            In record time, the newly elected officers of BBC—mostly in their thirties and forties and among the movers and shakers of the BLISST region—came out with their Mission:

            -Fostering collaboration among industries, government, academia, and civil society`

            -Championing ethical, sustainable business practices that uplift communities

            -Promoting inclusive development while preserving cultural and environmental heritage.

            -Building capacity and professionalism among entrepreneurs, especially the youth

            -Nurturing leaders rooted in hard work, empathy, humility, and leading by example

            -Advocating for policies and investments that improve competitiveness and quality of life

            Very early in their initial stage of operations, the BBC officers already have identified the interests common to the entire Baguio and BLISST community:

            -Strengthen linkages among business, government and civil society (especially the academe).

            -Serve as a resource and advisory body in policy formulation and development planning at the various level of regional government.

            -Provide capacity-building, mentorship, and professionalization program for SMEs and young entrepreneurs.

            -Promote entrepreneurship through initiatives like Go Negosyo, business clinics, and financial literacy

            -Contribute to the strategic development of key sectors such as agribusiness, tourism, IT-       BPM, manufacturing, and vocational education.

            The Core Values identified in their first strategic planning workshop were excellence and continuous learning, integrity and ethical leadership, collaboration and teamwork, civic responsibility and nation-building and sustainability and respect for local culture. The officers also had their feet firmly planted on the ground by recognizing the PESTLE (Political, Economic, Science and Technology, Legal and Environment) factors affecting the BLISST region.  Since the newly re-elected Mayor of Baguio is in his last term, what can be expected of the next?  How can the presence of young blood in the newly elected councils be converted into an opportunity?  Will there be obstacles posed by the heavy partisanship that characterizes the Cordilleras/Benguet region?   The choice of contractors for infrastructures is highly politicized and marred with corruption about which the Mayor of Baguio is very vocal and thus antagonizing some of the mayors of the other BLISST municipalities.

            As regards economic issues, there is the brain drain problem of IT professionals migrating to other countries like India or other Philippine regions like Clark.  How can they be retained?  The PEZA within Baguio City is very limited.  Can it be expanded in other BLISST areas.  There are serious land restrictions in the region because of ancestral domains.  How can the LGUs in the other municipalities of the BLISST region be engaged in opening up areas for expansion of manufacturing for exports?  What can be done to address the many infrastructure inadequacies such in water, energy, telecom, roads, and public school buildings?

            The officers also took cognizance of the legal and regulatory challenges such as the delays  related to zoning regulations and in the granting of business permits; uncertainties posed by DENR regulations affecting forests and government reservations;  expectations about the role of the newly established Metro BLISST Development Authority; uncoordinated municipal ordinances from the different LGUs comprising the BLISST region.

            To these we can add other  issues related to national and global developments.  What should be the role of the BLISST area in helping the nation to attain food security, the top priority in the development plans of the BBM Administration?  In addition to the FDIs that can be attracted to the export processing zones that can locate in the region, what other sectors are ripe for significant increases in foreign investments.  Could these be in infrastructures, hospitality sector, agribusiness, logistics, and education?  More specifically, how can the geopolitical challenges faced by Taiwan in relation to China be harnessed to the benefit of the Cordillera region (together with the other regions in Northern Luzon) by attracting inflows of foreign capital, technology and professional expertise from our closest neighbor to the north, especially in electronics and semiconductor as well as in high-value crops.  There are a good number of world class universities in Taiwan, steeped in research and development, that are eager to strike academic partnerships and alliances with Philippine universities, who can provide them with the young talents that Taiwan no longer has because of its severe demographic crisis.  Baguio has hundreds of thousands of university students because it is a university city.  Vegetable farmers, especially in Benguet, can benefit from the experiences of the outstandingly successful farmers co-operatives in Taiwan.  There is much synergy between Taiwan and the Cordillera Region.

            In order to walk the talk, the officers made sure that they would have  an Action Plan and Timetable over a three-year period.  The BBC will work with the government, the business community and academe to build a strong foundation among SMEs involved in agribusiness and tourism.  There will also be an emphasis on the upskilling, reskilling and retooling of the young labor force in the region, especially in the training of more electricians, plumbers, carpenters, painters, etc. who are in great demand in the booming construction and housing sectors.  Members of the BBC are looking forward to roadshows in Taiwan and Japan that they have already tentatively scheduled for March of 2026.  To be continued.