MinDA to go on int’l investment roadshow

DAVAO CITY — The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) said it will participate in a series of outbound business missions within the year to convey the message to foreign investors that “Mindanao is okay for investments” despite the ongoing Marawi crisis.

First up will be the seven-day investment roadshow to South Korea as part of the Philippines Investment Promotion Plan (PIPP) of the Board of Investments (BOI) from July 17 to 23, with MinDA chief of staff Abul Khayr Alonto II representing Mindanao.

Romeo Montenegro, director for Investment Promotion, International Relations and Public Affairs of MinDA, said the annual undertaking of the PIPP “to roll out investment promotion activities in specific targeted markets.”

Representatives joining the mission will come from Freeport Area of Bataan, Bases Conversion and Development Authority, Clark Development Corporation, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Subic Clark Alliance for Development, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone, and MinDA.

By next month, he said they will hold an investment promotion tour in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, Australia “for the same purpose of promoting investment opportunities in Mindanao and the rest of the Philippines.”

“Our role there is to make sure Mindanao is given a slot in terms of investment promotion activities, so that we would be able to convey the situation in Mindanao – the current context in the investment opportunities that we remain vibrant and available in spite of what has happened in Marawi,” Montenegro said.

Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (DCCCII) president Ronald Go hailed the efforts of the government to carry out missions in order to restore the confidence of the investors in Mindanao.

“Yet as previous experience has shown it is through business-tobusiness matching that we will get any investments actually moving. We look forward to a follow on in the future,” he said.

Then, Motenegro said they will participate in the annual China-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Expo in Nanning China by September this year.

“This time around we would want that Mindanao be part of the entire message of investment promotion. These are some of those that have been planned out already. Just to again bring back the message that Mindanao is okay for investments,” he said.