MEXICAN investors are keen on investing in Mindanao with a focus on agriculture, tourism, and telecommunications, said Julio Camarena Villaseñor, Mexican Ambassador to the Philippines.
Villaseñor, who visited the Malagos Garden Resort on April 11, said they are looking, more particularly, into new investments that would help boost tourism-related industry as construction of new hotels and restaurants in Mindanao.
“I think Mindanao is one of the fastest-growing areas in the Philippines. I think I find the entrepreneurship approach of the Filipinos very active. Many more are coming,” the ambassador said, adding they would also want to invest on information technology industry including call center agencies.
“We’re studying the different sectors of the economy to see what’s more effective. We want to explore areas of telecommunication, manufacturing, and any exchange of workers,” he added.
During Villaseñor's visit in Davao City last April 11, he said within 2013 to 2014, Mexico was the number one investor of the Philippines, bringing around 6.8 billion US dollars. By 2015 until last year, Villaseñor said Mexico is still included in the top five investors in the country.
“We’re working on the balance of trade (between Philippines and Mexico). Now the most important thing is the investment. Investments do not only produce development of the economy. Investments are more important than trade. Investments produce employment. So, we have investments that produce employment, trade, and infrastructures,” he said.
He added that there had been regular Mexican business delegations and investments coming to the Philippines which produced two of the top Mexican investments in the country, the Mexican cement and the Coca-Cola Femsa companies. The latter, Villaseñor said, had recently announced another million-dollar investment in the Philippines.
The visit of Villaseñor also represents Mexico’s and the Philippines’ existing trade ties for more than 200 years.
Part of his visit was to hand over the book, The Manila Galleon (El Galeon de Manila): Traversing the Pacific, which talks about the history of galleon trade including that of Mexico and the Philippines. The book is now displayed at the Chocolate Museum.
The ambassador’s dedication on the book read: “To the Malagos Chocolate Museum and the Puentespina Family: The Acapulco/Manila Galleon connected our two nations for 250 years. May exchange of products including chocolate bring friendship for life.”
“Coming to the Malagos Chocolate Resort is wonderful. (It shows the) history of our country and your country and how our countries are together and how we are united. This chocolate farm represents again our deep historical ties between the Philippines and Mexico. Mexico had been very close to the Philippines,” Villaseñor said.