By Lualhati F. Perez

Things are certainly looking up in Eastern Visayas region with the ascension into cityhood of 3 urban centers – Baybay, Borlongan, and Catbalogan. Once regarded as among the country’s poorest regions, it is slowly shedding its poorman’s image with the exponential growth in tourism, investments, governance and pum priming of the local government to make these new cities worthy of their calling.

Situated at a vital crossroad on Leyte’s western coast is Baybay, the biggest municipality in Eastern Visayas, and regarded as the agro-industrial center of the province.

“Baybay takes pride in its 13,820-hectare coconut plantation, the biggest in region 8, making it the natural choice for the site of 2 world-class coconut oil factories and a pulp paper exporter,” says Mayor Carmen Cari, who also sponsored the Baybay cityhood bill when she was congressman in 2001.

She said that they have been “using their coconut”, literally and figuratively, to boost the city’s economic standing with the presence of Visayas Oil Mill Inc. and SC Global Coco Products Inc. which generate thousands of jobs and income opportunities for Baybayanons.

SC Global is the world’s largest producer of organic coconut oil which exports 6,000 metric tons a month under the Bio Coco brand. The wholly-Filipino owned firm aims to double the production next year. It will also pump in a fresh P200 M investment for organic coco water, desiccated coconut, and virgin coconut oil to cash in on the growing global demand for healthy products.