Department of Foreign Affairs-Mindanao (DFA-Mindanao) Assistant Secretary Maria Agnes M. Cervantes said on Thursday that DFA-Mindanao is striving to coordinate with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on the relations with foreign countries.
“For example, when requesting us for assistance for meetings with businessmen with other government agencies in foreign countries, we coordinate our embassies there so that they will have these meetings that they want. In the sense, we are informed of the developments of what they want and then we tried to assist them in this area,” Cervantes told the media during the DFA-Mindanao Yearend Reception held at DusitD2 Davao.
Cervantes said currently big investors in BARMM are from European countries, Japan, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
“There has been quite a lot of investments and also assistance Japan provided to BARMM. In lots of sectors even in peacekeeping, livelihood, farming, and fishing, infrastructure,” she said.
The DFA-Mindanao has been established 20 years ago.
Cervantes said DFA-Mindanao has a new mandate to widen its responsibilities to fully assist and coordinate with government agencies in Mindanao on how it can bring in business investments, and foster closer relations with other countries.
“There is potential in BARMM for as long as peace is there. That is why we are also here so that we can help them with achieving coordination and improving what is presently there so that it can achieve its real potential not only BARMM but in Mindanao as well,” she said.
