Business Conference, which this year will focus on honing the region’s competitive edge in the world economy, organizers say.
“Mindanao is keeping abreast of global developments, which is necessary for us to improve our economic growth,” said Carlito Uy, conference director and president of the South Cotabato Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc.
In line with the focus of this year’s conference, a plenary session will be devoted to the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement which will go into effect in 2010, said Edgar Lacson, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).
“We have to honor our [free trade] commitments and at the same time address the concerns of different business sectors,” Lacson said.
The “MinBizCon,” which will be held from September 17 to 18 at the Fit Mart Convention Center, will focus on analyses of trade prospects with Asia Pacific countries, including Australia and New Zealand.
Opportunities in agriculture, energy, business process outsourcing, tourism and other sectors will be highlighted in business matching sessions, and in a one-week trade and travel fair that will open on September 14.
The conference will close with the formal presentation of the “2009 Mindanao Policy Agenda”, which covers policy issues requiring government action and private sector commitments.
Mindanao’s agricultural base helped cushion the region from recent economic turmoil, pointed out Elena Haw, PCCI vice president for Mindanao.
“We have the advantage now, so we should use it to strengthen our industries and infrastructure, and make sure that policies are in place in time to take advantage of coming economic upturns,” Haw added.
This year’s MinBizCon is organized by PCCI and hosted by the South Cotabato Chamber of Commerce, with support from the provincial government; the Koronadal city government; the Department of Trade and Industry; USAID’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, and other partners.
“In 2000, Koronadal, which was then a municipality, hosted the 9th Mindanao Business Conference. This year we have come full circle,” said Carlito Uy.
Haw noted that local businesspeople are now “much more outward-looking” compared to a decade ago.
“There’s more intra-regional investment. Now, when establishing a new business, entrepreneurs immediately begin considering other cities in which to set up branches, wherever they can realize a good return on investment,” said Haw.
She added that expanded communication and transport links have helped galvanize the economy of South Cotabato and the rest of Mindanao.
“The Internet, e-mail, cellphone connections, competitive airline prices—which are major factors in getting to new markets—these have transformed the way in which Mindanao does business,” Haw observed.
The MinBizCon’s auxilliary events include city and industrial tours, and a charity golf tournament at the Kalsangi Golf and Country Club in Polomolok.
Uy said at least 500 delegates were expected to attend, including a business contingent from the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).
The city of Koronadal, which is also known as “Marbel,” is a commercial hub in a fast-developing agro-industrial area that includes the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City. GEM
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