By Antonio Colina IV DAVAO CITY – The investors are encouraged to consider other urban areas in Davao Region as possible investment areas to spread out the development amid the influx of businesses entering Davao City to prevent congestion, a business leader from Tagum City said. In an interview, Tagum City Chamber of Commerce president Virgilio F. Agunod recommended to potential investors to look to Tagum, Panabo, and Digos cities for expansion. “We need to scatter the development so that it will not congest the Davao City. The Tagum is a very potential investment area. We are strategically located and it’s in between the provinces. It’s going to Davao Oriental, to Davao City with access road going to Bukidnon via Talaingod,” he said. The Tagum has been exponentially growing by several folds for the past 10 years with more areas converting into industrial zones to cater to more private investors, he said. Agunod said the local government of Tagum pushes for the construction of another airport there to cater to the growing number of travellers in the region and neighboring provinces. Some 2,000-hectare property has been prepared just in case the national government will approve of this proposal, he said. “It’s a dream but we are working on it. We are doing our best and, of course, if the chamber would discuss this, we would come up with a solid and specific position paper,” he added. The prospects for investments in Mindanao will be tackled during the Mindanao Business Conference (MinBizCon) with a theme “Building Peace, Building Progress, and Building Sustainable Business” from September 13 to 15, 2018 at the Big 8 Corporate Hotel in Tagum The Tagum Chamber of Commerce will host this year’s annual gathering of Mindanawon businessmen along with the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Inc. (DCCCII) aimed to “create a venue for discussion of both economic concerns and opportunities and eventually lead to policy actions for the development of Mindanao. He said the business sector, government agencies, and other stakeholders are expected to convene during various sessions highlighting both the current opportunities and the unexplored potentials of the island. The conference would have guest speakers from both government and private sectors to talk about the on-going and future projects in Southern Philippines and to discuss Mindanao’s economic landscape.