Davao eyed as trade hub in Southeast Asia

THE port of Davao will soon be one of the alternative trade centers in Southeast Asia under President Ferdinand Marcos’ 8-point development plan.

Customs Commissioner Yogi Felimon Ruiz on Monday said that the development of the Davao port as an alternative logistics hub in Southeast Asia was discussed by port officials with Singapore Ambassador to Manila Gerard Ho.

Ruiz said that the meeting tackled the transformation of the Port of Davao as an alternative center for trade in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in line with the plan of the National Economic Development Authority in Region 11 to update the Davao Gulf Development Plan (DGDP) of 2013.

The DGDP was conceptualized by Vice President Sara Duterte, former Davao City mayor and Regional Development Council chairman.

The proposal seeks to advance the Davao region as a “rising global frontier.”