The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and the European Union (EU) have deepened their engagement with communities across Mindanao, following the visit of EU Ambassadors to Bukidnon on Thursday, January 15, 2026.
Sixteen EU Ambassadors met with local stakeholders, cooperatives, and project implementers under the Strengthening the Implementation of Regional and Local Peace and Development Agendas in Mindanao (SPADe) Project. MinDA serves as SPADe's political partner and chairs its management advisory group.
Under the leadership of Secretary Leo Tereso A. Magno, MinDA promotes peace-based, conflict-sensitive, and investment-driven development.
“The strength of Mindanao’s development lies in partnerships that listen to communities and deliver results where they matter most,” Magno has emphasized.
In Bukidnon, the project advances coffee value chain development, investment promotion, and cooperative strengthening. Ambassadors visited cooperatives, participated in stakeholder dialogues, and attended a marketplace showcase of local products.
“Here in Bukidnon, we see a strong nexus between economic development and peace, alongside concrete climate action. This shows that when both sides work closely on shared priorities, cooperation becomes a powerful tool for promoting business and attracting investments,” said H.E. EU Ambassador to the Philippines Massimo Santoro.
The Ambassadors’ visit is also a direct outcome of the Mindanao Development Forum (MDF) 2025, where Secretary Magno and EU H.E. Santoro reaffirmed their shared commitment to translate high-level dialogue into concrete community-based initiatives.
SPADe, co-financed by the EU and Germany’s BMZ and implemented by GIZ, supports peace-responsive economic growth under the Mindanao Peace and Development Programme (MinPAD RISE).
Joining H.E. Santoro in the visit were H.E. Ambassador Dr. Titanilla Tóth (Hungary), H.E. Ambassador Raduta Dana Matache (Romania), H.E. Ambassador Marielle Geraedts (Netherlands), H.E. Ambassador Dr. Johann Brieger (Austria), H.E. Ambassador Franz-Michael Skjold Mellbin (Denmark), H.E. Ambassador Dr. Andreas Pfaffernoschke (Germany), H.E. Ambassador Marie Fontanel (France), H.E. Ambassador Karel Hejo (Czech Republic), H.E. Ambassador Davide Giglio (Italy), H.E. Ambassador Emma Hickey (Ireland), H.E. Ambassador Saija Nurminen (Finland), H.E. Ambassador Anna Ferry (Sweden), H.E. Ambassador Vladislava Iordanova (Belgium), H.E. Anna Krzak-Danel, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. (Poland), and H.E. Pedro Llinas, Deputy Head of Mission (Spain).
They were welcomed by Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, Bukidnon Province Governor Rogelio Neil Roque, and MinDA, represented by Northern Mindanao Area Chief Lordelie Enjambre.
The EU–MinDA partnership also supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directives to strengthen local value chains, accelerate investments, and bring development to the regions.
Aligned with the Marcos Administration’s priorities, MinDA champions agri-based development as a cornerstone of regional growth.
The Bukidnon engagement directly reflects President Marcos Jr.'s call to modernize agriculture, empower farmers, and ensure that regional economies contribute to national progress. PR