#MINDANAO

The joint foreign chambers of commerce in Mindanao and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Mindanao issued their statements on the Dec. 3 Marawi bombing.   

The joint foreign chambers, composed of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Mindanao Chapter, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in Mindanao (JCCM), The European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines- Southern Mindanao Business Council, and the American Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines Mindanao Chapter condemned the bombing and seeks justice for the victims, and stands with government to pursue a peaceful Mindanao.
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) in Mindanao, led by PCCI Area Vice President Arturo Milan, and the five regional governors expressed solidarity in light of the recent earthquakes and the Dec. 3 Marawi incident. PCCI Mindanao represents the various local chambers of commerce and industry. They expressed condolences to the victims’ families and affirmed Mindanao’s peaceful economy.

You can find these statements on the Facebook page of the Mindanao Development Authority (MINDA). This particular social media page is fast becoming a resource for socio-economic and cultural developments in Mindanao. It and the MINDA website are worth a visit.

One takeaway from these two statements is that there is a strong foreign and local business community in Mindanao. This may surprise some who may have been led to believe that foreign businesses can only be found in Luzon and the Visayas. They are involved in various sectors such as agribusiness, services, business process outsourcing and manufacturing.

Another takeaway sheds light on the Mindanao business community in general- who they are and what they do. Unlike their counterparts in Luzon, many businesses in Mindanao are heavily invested in the land and the resources that it bears. Whether they be real property development, agribusiness, minerals development and manufacturing and processing, there is often a link into making the land productive.  

These enterprises create jobs for rural residents, especially those who are lesser skilled. Moving forward I believe a push for sustainable forestry-based enterprises will provide the raw materials for increasingly popular biodegradable, paper-based packaging and utensils often used by large fast food chains. This will create many jobs for rural residents in areas such as the CARAGA and Davao regions particularly on Mindanao’s eastern seaboard.
Moreover, the growing international popularity of bamboo as a raw material will also boost sustainable forestry especially when these are planted in former mined-over areas, creating sustainable livelihoods for residents even after the end of the life of mines.  Many areas in Mindanao can grow bamboo well.

A third takeaway is that the local and foreign business is united. They pursue common networking activities and share insights that aim to make each other’s membership base strong and prosperous. This unity matters as we all move towards making Mindanao an international investment and tourism destination. This unity enables all to overcome challenges and take advantage of opportunities for today and the future.

More importantly, it is clear from the statements that business groups stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of the Mindanao community, forming a strong part of the diversity that makes the island unique.