PALO, Leyte– the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has officially opened its extension office in Eastern Visayas with the inauguration of its office on Thursday (May 11).
The SEC office is located inside the regional office of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) at the Government Center, this town.
SEC Chairman Emilio Aquino said that the putting of SEC-Tacloban extension office was upon the recommendation of House Speaker Martin Romualdez aside from a resolution endorsed by the Regional Development Council in 2021.
But it was learned that as early as 1983, there was already a move to have an SEC office in Eastern Visayas but for some reason did not materialize.
Aquino also said that it is timely for their office to have an extension office considering of the improving economic condition of Eastern Visayas.
“Today, we are not only celebrating the inauguration of the SEC Tacloban extension office but also ushering in an even more conducive and more robust environment for business and investment in Eastern Visayas,” he said in his speech.
“(The office) will serve as a gateway to doing business in Eastern Visayas,” he added.
Based on their record, there are about 10,456 corporations from the region that are registered at their office.
With the establishment of their extension office, there is now no need for those who want to avail their services to go to Manila or Cebu, Aquino said.
The SEC-Tacloban office is the 10th extension office of SEC and fourth in the Visayas.
Meantime, Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla expressed his gratitude to the SEC for putting up their own regional extension office.
“SEC is most welcome here,” he said.
NEDA Regional Director Meylene Rosales said that it was timely for SEC to open its extension office in Eastern Visayas considering that its economy is doing well.
She disclosed that the economy of the region grew by 6.8%, higher by .8 percent compared to the previous year.
’That means we are bouncing back(from the pandemic),” Rosales said.
The SEC-Tacloban extension office is headed by lawyer Desiree Cuenco.
Also present during the inauguration were all four commissioners of the office.
(JOEY A. GABIETA/LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
