THE 4th Davao Investment Conference (Icon), set on Friday and Saturday at the SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang Premier, will promote balanced development for various business sectors in the region, a Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) trustee said.
DCCCII trustee and 2017 Davao Icon Chairman Arturo Milan said targeted development of Davao City, as well as the rest of Mindanao in terms of investment should be equally spread out in different areas and sectors of the business industry.
"What we are promoting are the four sectors of our Davao economy. This is agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, and infrastructure because we really wanted to balance development in the region especially in terms of agri because basically we are an agricultural economy. We are known in banana production but we would want to develop other crops that can be developed too, like rubber and palm oil," said Milan who was a guest during the weekly Kapehan sa Dabaw weekly media forum at The Annex of SM City Davao on Monday, July 17.
Milan further said investments that will be attracted by the Davao Icon will definitely generate more jobs for the Dabawenyos. In terms of agriculture, he said investors will not only put up plantations but as well as processing plants that would need to employ hundred or thousand-strong workforce.
He added that the conference will also be a means of further promoting Davao region and its investment potentials to other Filipino investors and as well as foreign investors.
"This is really a very good opportunity for us to showcase the potential of Davao region because we still have a lot of untapped potentials in terms of investments in our area so this is what we are really doing -- to promote Davao Region as a viable investment destination in our country," Milan said.
DCCCII vice president Belle Torres, for her part, said they are hoping that aside from foreign and Manila-based participants coming, a lot will also come from Mindanao as well. This is to provide them a business-to-business opportunity and to establish business network outside the island.