Friday, October 24, 2008 Biz leaders positive on Mindanao's potentials
KORONADAL CITY -- Top business leaders in Mindanao have expressed confidence that the island's investment potentials would remain attractive to domestic and foreign investors.
This came as calls for the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to return to the negotiating table continue to mount.
Elena U. Haw, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry vice governor for Mindanao, said they are expecting investments in the mining and agriculture sector to grow despite the pockets of skirmishes in some parts in southern Philippines.
"It's not the entire Mindanao that is on war. The [Moro] conflict in some parts has been going on for 30 to 50 years yet the island is growing, though in a slow pace," she said.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court (SC) ruled that the controversial memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD) is unconstitutional; raising fears it would result to escalation of armed encounters between the military and alleged renegade members of the MILF.
MILF leaders have vowed to elevate the matter to the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Conference.
In appearing bullish over Mindanao's business potentials, Haw stressed that investors would brave the security risks if they see the opportunity to make money.
Other investors, on the other hand, may be in the wait-and-see tack and would come in later when the security condition improves, she added.
Vicente T. Lao, chair of the Mindanao Business Council, earlier appealed that news reports be specific so as not to frighten investors interested in putting up ventures in the island.
He particularly noted the use of dateline, which is the place where stories have been supposedly dispatched for publication.
"For instance, if the conflict is in Maguindanao and the dateline is in General Santos or Davao cities, then the reporter must state how far in distance or travel time the troubled area is from these cities," Lao suggested. (BSS)
