World Bank ties up with Northern Samar

TACLOBAN CITY — The World Bank will pilot a project in Northern Samar that seeks to improve investment promotion between the national government, particularly the Board of Investments (BoI) and the local government units.

Jhon Allen Berbon, chief of Northern Samar’s Provincial Economic Development and Investment Promotions Office, said the project, which will be launched in February will help the province strengthen its appeal as a prime location for investment.

Berbon said provincial officials led by Gov. Edwin Ongchuan had an online meeting with the World Bank, Galing Pook, and the BoI on Monday 13 January to thresh out details of the project implementation.

“World Bank will provide technical assistance and will help us look for potential investors,” Berbon told Daily Tribune in a phone interview.

Berbon said the meeting with World Bank representatives focused on the planned series of initiatives to promote renewable energy investments in the province and engage local communities in the transition toward a sustainable future.

The project, called “Enhancing National-Local Collaboration for Renewable Energy Investment Promotion and Community Engagement in the Philippines” will have a multi-year implementation.

The project has three stages — documentation of LGU policies to facilitate collaboration and better integration of investment promotion between the BOI and the local investment promotion team; development of a workshop to enhance the performance in investment promotion of the province; and an actual workshop.

Berbon said that in the case of Northern Samar, the investment promotion will focus on renewable energy.

He said the project is designed to enhance the capacity of LGUs to efficiently facilitate investments, streamline permitting processes, and engage in communities to guarantee an equitable distribution of benefits.

Berbon said that as the pilot area of the project implementation, this gives Northern Samar an early-year edge in promoting and facilitating investments.

“This initiative underscores the provincial government’s commitment to fostering local economic development through collaboration, streamlining processes, and empowering local communities,” he said.