The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced recently that it has outlined five key wish list for the Wood Dragon Year to further propel Cebu's economy to greater heights.

CCCI president Charles Kenneth Co cited the cost and power supply problem in Cebu, a private-public partnership for a dam to address Cebu's water crisis and the realization of a mass transit system.

It also included the provision of an e-visa to boost tourist arrivals and the realization of the Metro Cebu Expressway, a 74-kilometer expressway that will connect the cities of Danao in the north and Naga in the south.

"Our economists are forecasting a slight pickup in growth; factors that will contribute to this are lower inflation, and also lower interest rates," Co said.

He highlighted high inflation as the most significant challenge faced by Filipinos in 2023, which hampered economic activities as CCCI anticipates a surge in economic activity in 2024.