As we enter the last week of 2025, we look back at the significant developments in the economic sector of Mindanao, which has emerged as the country's second-largest economy. The first is how the Northern Mindanao economy has entered the trillion-peso club, reaching a total GRDP of ₱1.04 trillion, coming in second to the Davao region’s ₱1.08 trillion.

How can we sustain this growth? Here are some ideas which I lovingly call my wish list for 2026. This will not be the only list, as I can continue with more “wishes“ in succeeding columns.

The first is growing the coconut sector even more. In recent columns, I shared with you what the expanded forays of the Metro Pacific and Century groups in Mindanao will mean for Mindanao, which produces almost half of the 14 million annual metric tons the country gives to the world. Growing this further will therefore provide opportunity for Mindanao’s residents in terms of employment opportunities in processing and incomes from growing the crop.

Coconut farms represent the country’s second-largest farm sector at 2.5 million farmers, according to the Philippine Coconut Authority. While this is a bit less than the rice sector, which records 2.87 million farmers according to Philrice data, the coconut sector cultivates a larger area at 3.6 million hectares nationwide, since coconuts can be farmed more easily on hillsides and do not require flat land. Growing the coconut sector in Mindanao will translate to more opportunities for the farming families in more remote areas even outside the island, boosting the local economy.

The second is, more inclusive finance for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) will be needed. In a Dec. 24, 2025 Manila Bulletin column, former DBP EVP Benel Lagua makes the case for more lending for MSMEs through suggestions drawn from his experience.

The MSMEs are the backbone of the Mindanao economy. You can feel it when you enter the towns and how these add value to the incomes coming from the farms, fishing areas, and mines throughout the island of almost 30 million inhabitants. The businesses employ more residents, creating income opportunities for their families.

The third is that more innovation projects must be pushed. Each region’s Regional Research Development and Innovation Committees (RRDICS) under each Regional Development Council can ramp up their activities in 2026.

Perhaps the RRDICs can do more roadshows with local educational institutions, business organizations, and inventor clubs, especially groups of venture capital investors, to drum up interest in innovation research projects that can be funded. It is hoped that these will focus on projects that can create new products made from local materials and capabilities, or new ways of making existing industries more productive.

The different line agencies in each region that sit in the RRDIC can provide the baseline socio-economic, demographic, spatial, and other environmental and technical data to assist these researchers in fine-tuning research proposals and executing successful ones.

Among the goals of the RRDIC is to help utilize research funds provided by the government through programs such as the Innovation Act of 2018. Outputs of such research activities can translate to marketable products and services for companies. This creates such products that deepen the value chain, enabling a greater demand for artisanal and other commodities sourced from the region. This means more income for local producers and innovators.

We hope to see the efforts to fulfill these pushed in 2026.