The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) will bring the region’s key business priorities to national government agencies, pushing for action on digitalization, infrastructure, energy and the investment climate.
MinDA recently accepted the resolutions of the 35th Mindanao Business Conference saying these reflect concerns raised by business chambers and stakeholders across Mindanao.
MinDA Secretary Leo Tereso A. Magno said the resolutions will be brought to concerned agencies for consideration.
“Let me assure you that they will be brought to the appropriate national government agencies for consideration, and of course especially for action,” Magno said.
Among the priorities are wider digital payment adoption, infrastructure development including the Mindanao Railway System, and faster renewable energy investments to strengthen the region’s power security and self-sufficiency.
Magno said MinDA also plans to convene the Mindanao Power Monitoring Committee with the Department of Energy to address the region’s power requirements.
He said investors from South Korea, Japan and Qatar are being facilitated for potential solar, biomass and other renewable energy projects in Mindanao, with some already in site selection.
“This is the kind of public-private partnership that we need-government facilitating the investment environment for investment, and the private sector bringing in capital, technology, and innovation to Mindanao,” Magno said.
For the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), stronger digital connectivity could help businesses in remote areas access new markets and promote financial inclusion.
PCCI Chairman and Director for International Affairs Jude Aguilar said linking digital payment systems with Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore could make cross-border transactions more efficient.
“If we achieve digital interconnection with our neighbors Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore payments will become seamless,” Aguilar said.
Aguilar also identified renewable energy as a business priority, citing rising costs from dependence on traditional power sources.
“Renewable energy offers a sustainable alternative, lowering costs and reducing dependence on imports,” he said.
He said the resolutions, consolidated from consultations with businesses in the National Capital Region, Visayas and Mindanao, were presented to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as a proposed plan of action.
“We hope these can be enacted into laws that will benefit businesses and, ultimately, every Filipino,” Aguilar said.
The resolutions also call for a unified Mindanao Tourism Circuit, stronger support for agriculture and the halal industry, value-adding and logistics modernization, and a more investment-responsive business environment.
“The resolution should not be the end of the conversation. It should always be the beginning of an action,” Magno said.
He said the initiative seeks to move business recommendations from consultation to concrete government action and strengthen Mindanao’s competitiveness, economic security and self-sufficiency.
