Business success ‘10 times harder than in politics’
As chamber president, Soco gets ready to tackle MSMEs, traffic, Duterte’s vision
THE newly elected president of the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Glenn Anthony Soco, vowed to push for micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) development under his leadership.
“MSMEs are our country’s economic backbone. We need to put our acts together to help this sector grow,” said Soco, the chamber’s fifth and youngest president so far.
“This sector affects the much needed change in the grassroots level and even provides opportunities for overseas Filipino returnees,” he said.
Soco admitted that the MSME sector is close to his heart because he was once like them before growing into a big player in the coffee and manpower business.
Soco joined the family business at 21 after graduating with an industrial engineering degree from the University of San Carlos. He managed several businesses, including the company that eventually became the Mandaue Integrated Manpower Services, Inc.
In 1996, he started a business of his own by opening his first Coffee Dream outlet in Ayala Center Cebu, drawing from his savings for capital. Coffee Dream now has 41 branches across the country.
Soco said he also isn’t new to the business chamber because at a young age he was already exposed to various engage- ments of the chamber. His father Guillermo Soco was an active member of the board of directors when MCCI was revived in the early 90s.
“When I started in business I went with my father during the chamber’s trade missions. I easily got familiar with how the chamber operates until I became a member in mid-2000s and became a vice-president of the chamber’s internal affairs,” the entrepreneur said.
Growth pains
Since he joined MCCI, Soco has been active in promoting MSME development in Mandaue City and in the countryside. He also became vice-chairman of the Provincial MSME Council and then vicepresident of MCCI’s external affairs during MCCI immediate past-president Donato Busa’s term.
“MSMEs are close to my heart because that’s how I started. I saw the challenge in coming up with your own products, in developing your business, and in securing capital and complying with all these government requirements. The growth pains of an MSME is really something that develops not just the entrepreneur but also the community,” said Soco.
“It’s 10 times harder to become a businessman than a politician,” he added. Soco has twice tried his luck in poli-
tics. He ran for vice governor of Cebu in the 2010 and 2013 elections, but lost both times.
As MCCI’s new president Soco, envisions the chamber to be both dynamic and innovative. He also wants to see a stronger collaboration among the chamber, local government units (LGU) and different agencies under the new administration.
Soco welcomed President Rodrigo Duterte’s 10-point economic agenda and his thrust of bringing more opportunities to the countryside and pushing for regional development.
Likewise, he said, the appointment of Ramon Lopez, Go Negosyo’s executive director, as the new trade secretary is also a welcome development, since he’s been a champion for MSMEs.
“I personally collaborated with him, so we expect a DTI that is for MSMEs. We hope there will be interventions both technical and financial for the sector to grow. Access to capital should be more available and more tools for market development,” he said.
Strong consultation and collaboration mechanisms should be done from the ground up, Soco added.
MCCI has yet to craft new programs for this year but has pledge to enhanced existing pro- grams such as the awardwinning Women In Need Now Entrepreneurs and Role Models (Winners), Obra Negosyo and Men in Business.
Soco said they are reviewing their programs to make sure they remain relevant and aligned with the Duterte administration’s vision.
At present, Soco disclosed the chamber is repackaging the Obra Negosyo program to make it more adaptive to the needs of the present time and to make it sustainable. The initial idea, he said, is to make it a Countryside Enterprise Business Upliftment (Cebu) program.
Fast solutions
Soco said he will also work with Mandaue City’s new mayor, former congressman Luigi Quisumbing, to discuss a stronger partnership between the public and private sectors.
“We expect a review of existing traffic plans. Traffic is a problem that is so dynamic in that it changes fast. Solutions should also be fast. This certainly affects business but every small solution, as long as it’s progressive, is welcome,” said Soco.
President Duterte’s serious fight against illegal drugs is also one of the advocacies Soco intends to push during his term.
“We need to educate the public that illegal drugs can affect our moral fiber, affect our productivity and trigger bad practices. We need to have a drug-free environment to have a healthy workforce,” he added.