Voice of Business

• Existence of a permanent secretariat
• Implementation of an advocacy program

The Surigao Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Inc. was organized in 1985 by a group of civic leaders and businessmen led by Dr. Josefino P. Miranda, Engr. Leonel A. Santos, Bienvenido C. Ilano, Engr. Leonardo O. Kang, Atty. Claro C. Garcia, Peter Simmen, Lau E. Ching, Cesar Paredes, Cruz Yuipco, Jr., Sergio Mailig, and Gaw Hian Hian. It was borne out of the need to strengthen the economic foundations of Surigao following the financial hardship in Surigao which was hastened by the closure of the Nonoc Nickel Refinery and the province-wide destruction caused by Typhoon Nitang in 1984.

The SCCI now has a permanent secretariat and its office is located at the SEDF Building, 00087 M. Ortiz Street, Kaskag, Surigao City. It publishes a quarterly newsletter not only for its members but for other non-SCCI businesses as well.

• Implementation of income-generating projects
• Sponsorship of social-community development programs
• Financial and technical assistance
• Other SME development programs and services

Surigao Economic Development Foundation (SEDF)

During the infancy period of the SCCI, the board of directors and the religious leaders of Surigao saw the need to directly improve the income of the rural and urban poor. Thus the Surigao Economic Development Foundation (SEDF) was created in 1985 as the social development arm of the SCCI. SEDF'S professed mission is to uplift the quality of life of low-income families and to promote the socio-economic development in Surigao del Norte as an expression of the commitment of the private sector for the well-being of fellow Surigaonons. The SEDF, a non-stock non-profit corporation is now a multi-million foundation with a loan portfolio of 24 million pesos and actively engaged in Grameen-based micro-finance operations in Surigao Del Norte through its head office and five branches. Engr. Leonel A. Santos, past president of SCCI is currently the President of SEDF. The executive committee is headed by the same members of the SCCI board of directors. It works closely with US AID, AUS AID and other international agencies and has accomplished thirty-one projects to date worth several million pesos. It has received numerous awards and citations such as the Rotary Club of Metro Surigao’s Outstanding Award for Organizations in 1999. Today the SEDF takes center-stage as the funding organization and financing arm of the SCCI. See http://www.philngo.com/sedf1.htm.

PSMED Council

Training the Young

• Growth of Membership
• Training programs, workshops

After it became apparent that there was no young business professionals joining the SCCI and most of them were migrating outside Surigao in search for better opportunities, the SCCI through its President, Johann Jake B. Miranda, sponsored the creation of the Surigao Young Business Alliance (SYBA) back in November 2006 to organize the young business professionals under the age of 40 in Surigao. Now reaching thirty active members, it serves to group together the sons, daughters, heir-apparents of present SCCI members including the young entrepreneurs and managers of Surigao to undertake socio-civic projects and instill loyalty to Surigao and its future. Its objectives are first, to become a unified voice of the young business professionals of Surigao, second, to create new businesses while strengthening existing foundations, third, to bring technology and modern trends to Surigao business. Eventually upon reaching their leadership and business maturity, SYBA members will graduate to become SCCI members.

Consolidating the Business Community

• Participation of membership in chamber activities
• Information services
• Consultancy and advisory services
• Trade missions and fairs
• Business action center

The Surigao Business Council

1. The council shall be laterally managed by the executives of the three business organizations, the President of Surigao Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), the President of Surigao Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (SFCCCI) and the Executive Director of Surigao Young Business Alliance (SYBA). These three executives shall meet regularly especially with the local government.
2. Periodically, the different boards of directors of the three business organizations shall meet to discuss relevant and critical business issues
3. Annually, the general membership of the three business organizations shall meet during a general assembly.
4. The three organizations remain to be independent organizations but related in coordinated and cooperated efforts. Costs for joint meetings and projects shall be equitably shared by the different groups.

Community Night

1. Build relationships and develop camaraderie among organizations.
2. To celebrate the incoming Fiesta Day by generating funds to augment the charitable projects of the City government.

The SCCI and the City Government plays hosts to trade missions, mining investors and other trade groups visiting Surigao. For mining, the City Government with the assistance of the SCCI and the Mining Geosciences Bureau have put up a Provincial Mining Investment Assistance Center (PMIAC) at the MGB Caraga office in Surigao.

Public-Private Partnership

• Partnership with government

SCCI through its members has participated in the master planning workshops of the city, province and region. It works closely with the city government in formulating tax ordinances, traffic regulations, procedures to hasten business licensing and procurement system, and improving the relationship between and amongst private business operators. The SCCI is the focal group representing the business community in the Surigao’s Tripartite Council. The local government and the civil society are its partners.

The SCCI was unanimously chosen by accredited NGOs and special bodies as the lead organization in the City Development Council for year 2007 to 2010. SCCI is also well represented in Surigao City’s tourism efforts as SCCI President Johann Jake B. Miranda is the Chairman for the Surigao City Tourism Council, Inc. for year 2007 to 2010.

Its latest project with the City Government and the civil society organizations is the City Coalition for Transparent and Accountable Governance (CCTAG) Project in cooperation with the Asia Foundation, and US AID. These projects assist public offices and local government units in improving the effectiveness and efficiency of their services. The computerized Real Property Tax Assessment (RPTA) database at the City Assessor’s office and the One-Stop Business Licensing Shop under the City Treasurer’s office are one of the projects recently completed under this initiative.

The SCCI and the City Government conducted the first ever Surigao Business Summit in November 2006, a conference and open forum between city officials led by the city mayor and the SCCI with its members and other sectoral representatives. Another one is planned for October 2007.

The SCCI also supervised the Jose Mari Chan Valentine Concert in Surigao in February 2007, a fund-raising event for a Maradjao Magbalantay College Seminary Foundation, Inc., wherein the SCCI brought together the catholic community and the large mining groups as main sponsors for the concert.

Honorable Alfonso S. Casurra, Surigao City mayor, won as Outstanding Mayor in 2006 in the Local Government Unit awards were most of his notable projects were undertaken with the SCCI.

In October 2007, Surigao City was also awarded as the Most Business-Friendly City in Mindanao.

Active Membership in PCCI, the Caraga RDC and EMBC

• Linkages with information system, i.e. PCCI membership database
• Participation in PCCI activities i.e., meetings, conferences, workshops, trade missions, other chamber activities
• Trade and investment promotion

SCCI is a member of the Eastern Mindanao Business Council (formerly the Caraga Business Council) and is affiliated with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI). Its President, Johann Jake B. Miranda is Surigao City’s representative in the Caraga Regional Development Council (RDC). Engr. Leonel A. Santos also represents the SCCI in the Caraga RDC. It successfully hosted the 11th Mindanao Business Conference and the 1st Mining Conference in 2002. In 2004, it acted as host for the 10th Caraga Business Conference and 3rd Mining Summit.

By the end of 2007, the SCCI shall have sponsored the creation of the Dinagat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Dinagat island used to be a geopolitical area belonging to Surigao Del Norte until its official creation as the new Dinagat Province in 2006) and the Siargao Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Siargao is an island group in the eastern corner of Surigao Del Norte).

The SCCI is now organizing representatives from across the business and social spectrum to finally become the one true voice of business in Surigao. As the lead organization in the City Development Council for year 2007 to 2010, it has now embraced into its fold all NGOs and local special bodies. To reflect its breadth of membership, the SCCI’s latest members are the Market Vendors Association and the Muslim Vendors Group.

Today the SCCI is a rejuvenated club with the aim to advance the issues of the business community and work even more closely with the city government of Surigao and the social development of Surigao through the SEDF.