Investors can check out Mindanao prospects at forum
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian businessmen and investors will have the chance to check out investment opportunities in Mindanao at the Mindanao Business Networking Forum to be held here on Thursday.
The Philippines embassy here said the forum was organised following the successful peace framework agreement signed between the Philippines government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) brokered by Malaysia on Oct 15 in Manila. “The by-invitation forum aims to present to Malaysian businessmen and investors the current trade and investment opportunities in Mindanao.
The particular investment opportunity sectors are agriculture, business, tourism and infrastructure development, especially transport, power and renewable energy, and services particularly Islamic finance and information and communications technology services,” the embassy said in a statement.
Philippines ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya said since the framework agreement signing, there has been tremendous interest from Malaysian companies to invest in Mindanao.
“The forum capitalises on this interest and we hope that this would translate to real sizeable investments. We believe that through a vigorous economic development drive in tandemwith the consolidation of peace, Mindanao will not only live up to its name as the “land of promise” but in fact become promise fulfilled,” he added.
The statement said the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) chairman and signing Minister for Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East Asia Growth Area, Luwalhati Antonino; Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao governor Mujiv Hataman and other key officials from the region and from Malaysia are expected to attend the oneday forum. “They will be accompanied by 50 businessmen from Mindanao. There will be a chance for Filipino and Malaysian businessmen to interact in breakout sessions, as well as in one-on-one meetings with their counterparts,” it said.
Malaysian companies expected to attend the forum include Berjaya Corp, Genting Plantations, Malaysian Biotechnology Corp, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhdand Philippines Airlines Malaysia.
The Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Department of Islamic Development Malaysia, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry, Malaysia External Trade Development Corp (Matrade) and Matrade Manila have also confirmed their participation at the forum.
The forum is jointly hosted by the Philippines Embassy in Kuala Lumpur and MinDa in collaboration with the Philippines Trade and Investment Centre-Malaysia, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Regional Government, Department of Trade and Industry, Board of Investments and Department of Agriculture, Matrade and other supporting organisations in Malaysia.
It is also supported by the Putrajaya Chamber of Commerce and Berjaya Times Square, it added. — Bernama