The best business stories of 2009

The year that was saw significant business events and initiatives that, by and large, helped in shaping the economic condition of Davao City, the Davao region and the entire country.
These include the holding of trade fairs and exhibits showcasing the best products and services of Davao and other parts of Mindanao such as the just revived Mindanao Trade Expo (MTE), the Mindanao Travel and Tour Expo (MTTE), and the Davao Trade Expo (DATE).
Aside from these periodic economic activities, Edge Davao attempts to look back at the leading economic and business stories last year. The “Top 10 Business News Developments in 2009” are the following presented in no chronological order:
1. Mindanao’s productivity: Hostage to climate change
The story discussed how extreme weather conditions brought about by global warming will impact on the economy of Mindanao, being heavily dependent on agriculture.
Top Mindanao banker Alex Buenaventura, the story’s main source, confirmed the complaint of fruit growers that a drastic change in climate starting 2008 last year resulted in the more than 50 percent decline in the yield of mango, durian and other fruits in most parts of Mindanao.
2.  Singaporean businessman lauds efficiency of agencies
The story was one for the books. Kishore Jethmal, a businessman and training director of Trust Management Centre of Singapore, said that the process of obtaining business permits and licenses in Davao City is quite efficient. In fact, to some extent, faster than the very efficient and expedient system in the city state of Singapore.
The foreigner’s statement, which was widely publicized by local media, warmed the hearts of the factotums of the agencies involved, chiefly the regional offices of the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Labor and Employment, and the Bureau of Internal Revenue. 
3. SM mall in Lanang to employ 1,000
The story reported that the SM mall in Lanang where the Lanang Golf and Country Club used to be will generate at least 1,000 job openings when fully operational in two to three years.
The mall itself will hire at least 100 employees, while the rest will be employed by its affiliates and other locators in the mall. The SM group bought the 10-hectare lot from the landed Dakudao family. 
4. Tuna emerges as strongest export commodity
The story tackled the report released by the National Statistics Offices (NSO) indicating that amid the global economic crisis that saw plunging revenues of Philippine export products these past months, tuna has emerged as the only commodity among the top 10 exports showing the strongest annual growth rate.
It also quoted Francisco Buencamino, executive director of the Tuna Canners Association of the Philippines, as saying that world prices of processed tuna products had been soaring in foreign markets due to the rising costs of raw tuna catch during the past three years.
5. Banana industry cushions impact of unemployment
The story carried a report released by the Department of Labor and Employment which detailed how the burgeoning export banana industry remains to be the bright spot in the employment front in the Davao region and other parts of Mindanao, thereby defying the effects of the world’s economic downturn.
Several banana farms continued to expand and hire more workers on top of the 100,000 previously employed in banana farms and other thousands more in ancillary services.
6. Multi-billion property boom hits Davao region
The story reported huge investments in the billion of pesos that continued to pour into the Davao region to develop real property. Most of the projects are in Davao City and the other cities around the Davao Gulf — the Island Garden City of Samal, Panabo and Tagum, the latter three in Davao del Norte, the most progressive of the four Davao provinces.
The big developers, a number of whose projects have been completed and now enjoying brisk sales or are sold out, in alphabetical order, are Ayala Land, Camella Communities, DMCI, Filinvest, Landco, Metro Pacific, Robinsons, SM Investments and Santa Lucia Realty.
The local investors, made up chiefly of the landed gentry, the nouveau riche, the homegrown developers and grizzled businessmen who have made a fortune in various other businesses, have also joined the fray — either in joint ventures with sleek out-of-towners or on their own using internally-generated resources or borrowed funds. These are the Alcantaras (Northcrest, Woodridge, Fernwood), Damosa Land of the Floirendos (Abreeza, Damosa Gateway, Playa Azalea), the Bangayans (Ocean View and Linmarr Towers), the Tagum Doctors Hospital group (Samal Highlands), the Dizons (Riverfront Corporate City, Crocodile Farm), the Gaisanos, the Lims (NCCC Group), the Yaps (Felcris, Chimes and Convenience Stores), the Uys (Dimdi Group), the children of Kisan Lu (Amiya Resort Residences), Devin Uraya (Urayaland), Henry Lopez Chua (Chula Vista) and the Villa-Abrille heirs.
7. Davao’s liveability: No. 1 attraction for developers, buyers
As the Davao City’s real estate landscape has drastically changed over the past few years, the story tackled how Davao City’s high level of “liveability” has placed it on the high-end property development map.
Aside from the strategic location of the city, its air and sea linkages that connect Davao City to the rest of the country as well as foreign destinations like Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Singapore among others. The city also has efficient public utilities, and is considered Mindanao’s financial center.
8. Trade resurgence brewing in BIMP-EAGA
The story discussed analysis made by top trade and economic government officials indicating a resurgence of trade relations among countries under the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).
The improved economic and security environment across their borders have reportedly renewed interests among investors in the growth area.
9. Mindanao economy perks up
The story argued that there was no economic crisis in Mindanao despite the global meltdown that continues to affect the nation. It was mainly based on the analysis made by Alex Buenaventura, president of One Network Bank, which claimed that Mindanao’s economy was marked with positive data and statistics covering the period from January to October.
Among others, the analysis noted the increased remittances of overseas Filipino workers, the bank’s increased net income, deposits and loan volumes.
10. Win-win solution to watershed conflict through collaboration
The report discusses how the multiple uses of the city’s major watersheds need to be harmonized in order to maximize the economic and social benefits “in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of the natural resources.”
Quoting experts from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the report identified seven conflicting interests or resource claims in the watershed areas: hydropower generation through the proposed Tamugan Hydropower Project of Hedcor, domestic water supply through the proposed Surface Water Project of the Davao City Water District (DCWD), agriculture and rural livelihood, biodiversity and natural resources protection, eco-tourism, indigenous peoples and communities ancestral land and the settlement and subdivision developments.