Government steps up Mindanao's industry clusters competitiveness

THE government will develop and promote the agriculture and other industry clusters of Mindanao as viable investments in a bid to boost their export performance.

In a presentation during the Philippine Economic Briefing, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo said these include the banana, mango, coconut, palm oil and seaweed industry clusters.

"Davao's banana industry contributes about 75 percent of the total exports of the region," he said.

Domingo said the rubber and tuna clusters have also huge business potentials both in the local and export markets.

"The region also boasts of a rubber industry [that] produces and exports natural rubber in Asia. It envisions the country as one of the top five natural rubber producers in Asia by expanding domestic and export market share by 25% in five years," he said.

On the tuna industry, Domingo said the country hopes to maximize its business opportunities by adding more tuna value-added enterprises in the region.

"With a revived access to the pockets of seas in the western and central Pacific Ocean, stakeholders could deliver more results to investment, employment and trade," he added.

Apart from these industry clusters, the government is also promoting the development of other industries in Mindanao including wood, mining, tourism and information communications technology (ICT).

"(The country) promotes business/enterprise development through industry cluster and value chain strategies to enhance the competitiveness of the priority industry clusters in Mindanao," the trade chief said.

In 2013, Domingo said investment-driven projects are expected to boost the country's exports.