MAKATI CITY – The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) reinforced Mindanao’s strategic role in the country’s national investment strategy during the Foreign Trade Service Corps (FTSC) Planning Conference Panel Discussion with Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) held on December 02, 2025.
During the panel discussion, MinDA chairperson Secretary Leo Tereso Magno highlighted Mindanao’s three priority investment pillars: renewable energy and green manufacturing, agri-industrial corridors, and digital and logistics connectivity, stressing their importance in driving sustainable growth and regional economic integration.
“Through renewable energy and green manufacturing, Mindanao is emerging as the nation’s clean energy heartland, combining solar, hydro, and biomass projects with industrial and agri-processing zones,” Magno said.
“With the improved peace and security as our turnaround story, Mindanao is ready for investments,” he added.
MinDA served as a key agency in the panel session, outlining Mindanao’s priority sectors, competitive advantages, and strategic role in driving high-value investments across the southern growth corridors.
Secretary Magno also discussed Mindanao’s evolving role within the broader regional landscape, highlighting ongoing initiatives and strategic collaborations that strengthen the island’s position in cross-border trade, investment flow, and regional cooperation.
“MinDA promotes Mindanao by showing the world that it is more than just a region rich in resources; it is a competitive, well-connected, and future-ready investment destination at the heart of the Bimp-Eaga corridor,” he said.
The event, organized by the Department of Trade and Industry’s Foreign Trade Service Corps (FTSC), convened investment promotion agencies, trade officials, private sector leaders, and commercial attachés to strengthen a unified national strategy for attracting foreign investments.
The session aimed to equip FTSC Officers with actionable intelligence, counter-narratives to common investor concerns, and evidence-based solutions aligned with the country’s regional development agenda.
Secretary Magno further assured FTSC Officers that MinDA provides credible guidance on power stability and renewable energy options through its role as Co-Chair of the Mindanao Power Monitoring Committee (MPMC), giving investors reliable information and confidence in the island’s energy future.
Also joining Magno as panelists were the president and CEO of Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority, Gil G. Taway IV; the executive vice president of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, Atty. Gisela Z. Kalalo, senior deputy Administrator of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Renato W. Lee, executive director of the Subic Clark Alliance for Development (SCAD), Atty. Amee Zarraga-Fabros, and executive director of the Board of Investments, Evariste Cagatan.
In line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to position the Philippines as a premier investment destination, MinDA’s initiatives directly support the administration’s thrust for balanced regional development.
Magno underscored that Mindanao’s investment pillars complement President Marcos Jr.’s call for renewable energy expansion, food security, and digital transformation as cornerstones of the national growth agenda.
By aligning with the Marcos administration’s vision, MinDA ensures that Mindanao’s rise as the country’s fastest-growing investment hub contributes meaningfully to the President’s overarching strategy for inclusive and sustainable prosperity. PR