Trade mission targets Cairns

Philippines seek fruitful exchange

CAIRNS is the only region in Australia being visited by a high-level Philippines’ trade mission looking for help to develop the Asian country’s Mindanao region.

The 13-person trade delegation is led by the secretary/ chairman of the Mindanao Development Authority Luwalhati Antonino.

Cairns’ host Graham Poon of GK Consulting said Mindanao was a fast-developing region in the southern Philippines in need of advice, expertise and guidance.

He said a key component of the two-day visit starting today was talking to the Australian Banana Growers Council and Biosecurity staff in the wake of the Panama disease.

Mr Poon said both regions could learn from each other about handling plant diseases.

“The Mindanao region has many similarities with North Queensland in the tropical products that are grown such as bananas, coconuts, tropical fruit and sugar,” he said.

“Our region can offer tropical expertise to the Philippines especially to the Mindanao region. Given that Philippine Airlines will be flying direct into Cairns from Manila later in the year, it is also hoped that there will be increasing business and social contact with the Philippines.

“One of the key features of this Federal Governmentfunded program is to develop linkages with government and business in Australia for co-operation and information exchange so it benefits both people in Australia and the Philippines.”

The delegation, believed to be a first to Cairns from the Philippines, is also visiting Brisbane and Sydney.

Advance Cairns chief executive Mark Matthews said the visit would develop already strong cultural relations with the Philippines.

“We will showcase newly developed country profiles, country engagement plans and industry capability profiles,” he said. “With the Philippine Airlines service from Manila commencing later in the year, this early work may open new trade and investment opportunities for both regions.”

Cairns Airport chief executive Kevin Brown said he was looking forward to developing key relationships in the Philippines to seek trade and investment opportunities as well as “developing strong passenger connectivity between our two great countries”.