Local officials in San Simon are seeking to attract more investments and strengthen the municipality's position as a competitive business destination in Central Luzon through a new partnership with the Board of Investments (BOI).

Earlier this month, Trade Undersecretary and BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo and acting Mayor Josephine Anne Canlas signed a memorandum of agreement aimed at enhancing investment promotion, streamlining business processes and improving investor services in the municipality.

Rodolfo said the partnership reinforces cooperation between the national government and local government units to ensure investors receive efficient and responsive support.

"San Simon is a strategic partner in this effort. Situated along the North Luzon Expressway and at the heart of Central Luzon's economic corridor, the municipality serves as an important gateway for trade, logistics and manufacturing," Rodolfo said.

For her part, Canlas said the municipal government remains committed to strengthening its partnership with the BOI, recognizing the role of national-local collaboration in achieving inclusive economic growth.

Under the agreement, the BOI and the municipal government will work together to promote and facilitate priority investment projects in San Simon, provide investor services and capacity-building programs for local government personnel, and implement ease-of-doing-business reforms.

The partnership also includes the implementation of the BOI Green Lane Program for strategic investments, which aims to accelerate the processing of permits and approvals for qualified projects.

Both parties also agreed to share best practices in investor servicing and closely coordinate efforts to support investments, particularly in the industrial, logistics and manufacturing sectors.

Officials said the initiative is expected to further enhance San Simon's competitiveness while generating economic opportunities for residents and nearby communities.

The signing ceremony also served as a venue for discussions between government officials and private sector representatives on potential investment opportunities that could contribute to the municipality's continued growth and development.