ARMM holds investment forum

COTABATO CITY - The Regional Board of Investments of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (RBOI-ARMM) conducted an Investment Promotion Forum for stakeholders and tackled different ways on how to promote investments in Bangsamoro areas.

The event held recently in Cotabato City was attended by from business establishments in the region, according Ishak Mastura, the RBOIARMM chairman. He said the forum will help the investments board formulate Business Sustainability Framework for the Bangsamoro in the ARMM.

The core of the initiative is the Brokering Business Investment in the Bangsamoro to Achieve Inclusive Development Growth (BRIDGE) Project, said Dr. Urooj Malik, chairman and chief executive officer of Hineleban Foundation Inc., one of the groups involved in the project.

Dr. Malik pointed out that the basic idea is to provide support in improving the capacity of the economic cluster, RBOI, and other departments -- including the local government units - to show how businesses, entrepreneurs, and enterprises can work effectively to achieve sustainable operation and address weak points in the operation of business firms.

The weak points that are often overlooked by some businesses are also covered in five components of the Business Sustainability Framework. These are Community Development Planning, Ecosystem Conservation, Sustainable Livelihood Development, Food Security, and Values and Leadership Transformation.

With this, it is believed that there has to be a paradigm shift in the nature of investments with equal partnership between the business enterprise and the communities. Despite violent incidents in Mindanao in recent years including the Marawi siege, Zamboanga siege, and the Mamasapano incident, “we want to show them (the investors) that there are good leaders here… that there are good entrepreneurs here in Mindanao that can be partnered with,” he added.

Upon achieving the goal of the BRIDGE Project, there will be an enhanced capacity of the regional government to facilitate business investments; empowered local communities to engage in business and enterprise development; and sustainable business investment practices in both local and international business partners.

The BRIDGE Project involves the RBOI, the Philippine Business for Social Progress and the Hineleban Foundation, Inc.