THE Davao City Investment Promotion Center (DCIPC) is looking beyond its traditional investor markets as it seeks to draw business delegations from East Asia, the Americas and Europe to the Davao-Borneo Economic Growth Forum, with the goal of generating investments not only for the Davao Region but for Mindanao as a whole.
The investment promotion office said the September forum is being designed to widen Davao's international business network and strengthen its role as a gateway to investment opportunities across Mindanao and the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-Eaga).
The Davao-Borneo Economic Growth Forum will be held on September 19, 2026, at the SMX Convention Center at SM Lanang in Davao City as part of the second edition of Davao Global Connect, the city's flagship investment promotion program launched in 2025 during the Kadayawan Festival.
“This year, Davao Global Connect, on its second year, will be focusing particularly on the Davao-Borneo Economic Corridor,” Matias Regis Jr., DCIPC technical adviser for special concerns, told reporters on the sidelines of a DCIPC meeting last week at Seda Abreeza.
Regis said the initiative is intended to move investment discussions beyond Davao City and create opportunities that can benefit other parts of Mindanao through stronger business linkages, cross-border trade and regional partnerships.
The forum is expected to bring together about 500 local and international delegates who will discuss investment prospects, economic trends, cross-border agreements and potential partnerships within the BIMP-Eaga subregion.
“The purpose of the event is to gather thought leaders within the BIMP-Eaga region and the Davao-Borneo corridor to discuss investment trends, economic trends, cross-border agreements, and possible collaborations on specific industries,” the official said.
Davao positions itself as Mindanao gateway
The push comes as Davao continues to account for a significant share of economic activity in Mindanao.
The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that Davao City's economy expanded by 7.9 percent in 2024, accelerating from 7.5 percent growth in 2023. Its gross domestic product reached P574.72 billion, up by P42.19 billion from P532.52 billion the previous year.
Construction was the city's fastest-growing industry at 19.1 percent, followed by transportation and storage at 12.6 percent and other services at 10.8 percent.
At the regional level, the Davao Region posted 6.3 percent economic growth in 2024, bringing its economy to about P1.08 trillion from P1.02 trillion in 2023.
The PSA said construction, transportation and storage, and professional and business services were among the region's fastest-growing industries. Services accounted for 61.6 percent of the regional economy.
These figures provide a backdrop for the city's effort to attract a broader pool of international capital and position Davao as a platform for investors interested in markets beyond the city.
The DCIPC previously reported more than P3.4 billion in actual investments in Davao City in 2024. The city has also been working to enhance its investment incentive system to make the locality more competitive for domestic and international investors.
Foreign participation eyed
For the September forum, organizers are targeting a majority of participants from outside the country, with more than 70 percent of delegates expected to represent foreign groups.
The DCIPC is extending invitations to prospective participants from the United States, Australia, Japan, South Korea, China and European countries.
The expanded outreach is intended to expose Davao and other Mindanao investment destinations to companies seeking new markets, production bases, supply-chain opportunities and partnerships in Southeast Asia.
The approach also complements the broader BIMP-Eaga strategy, which promotes economic cooperation among Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, particularly in areas that are geographically close but traditionally less integrated with the region's major economic centers.
BIMP-Eaga has identified connectivity, trade, tourism, agriculture, manufacturing and investment as important areas for regional integration.
The subregion has also grown substantially in economic scale. According to the BIMP-Eaga ministerial meeting's 2025 joint statement, the subregion's economy reached about $1.34 trillion in 2024 when measured at purchasing power parity, equivalent to 18.03 percent of the combined GDP of the four member countries.
Connectivity key to investment expansion
For Davao, the investment push is closely linked to improving connectivity between Mindanao and neighboring markets in Borneo and eastern Indonesia.
In May 2026, the Mindanao Development Authority said the Philippines was working to establish a gateway corridor involving Davao de Oro, Davao Oriental and Davao Occidental that would integrate air, land and sea connectivity and provide more direct access to BIMP-Eaga markets.
The initiative included discussions on potentially restoring a direct Davao-Manado air connection, while local and regional stakeholders were also exploring cooperation in fisheries, agriculture, tourism and trade.
The proposed connectivity is significant because Davao has historically been positioned as a major commercial and logistics center for Mindanao.
BIMP-Eaga has described Davao City as an agricultural, commercial and industrial hub and a gateway to Asean markets and beyond. The organization has also identified logistics development in the Davao Region as a means of attracting investment, improving competitiveness and increasing trade.
The revival of maritime links is also being pursued. In 2025, Philippine and Indonesian stakeholders met in Davao to explore the revival of the Davao-General Santos-Bitung sea route, with discussions focusing on cargo demand, vessel operations and policies that could encourage private-sector participation.
Priority sectors
The September forum will focus on sectors where Davao and other Mindanao areas can potentially develop stronger domestic and international business linkages.
These include agribusiness, tourism, property and mixed-use development, halal industries, logistics and connectivity.
The inclusion of agribusiness is particularly significant given Mindanao's role as one of the country's major agricultural production areas, while the halal sector presents opportunities linked to the region's proximity to Muslim-majority markets in Borneo and Southeast Asia.
Tourism and logistics, meanwhile, are expected to benefit from improved regional connectivity and the movement of people and goods across BIMP-Eaga.
Local government units from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, as well as Regions 9, 10 and 11, have also been invited to participate.
Their participation is expected to broaden the investment pipeline presented to foreign businesses by allowing investors to examine opportunities across several Mindanao regions instead of focusing solely on Davao City.
From networking to actual deals
DCIPC also wants the forum to produce concrete business arrangements rather than remain a venue for high-level discussions.
“Our goal is, number one, so that there are clear investments coming in for Davao and Mindanao. Second is to have actual tangible partnerships with local and international businesses; there will be a signing of MOUs and MOAs later in the afternoon,” he said.
The forum will form part of a series of major economic events in Davao City in September. It will follow the Davao Agri-Trade Expo on September 17 and the Asean Innovation Summit on September 18.
Organizers expect the consecutive events to create opportunities for investors and business leaders to move between discussions on agriculture, innovation, trade and regional investment.
The strategy is consistent with BIMP-Eaga’s broader emphasis on private-sector participation as a driver of economic integration. The regional framework identifies the private sector as a key engine of growth, while governments are expected to create policies and regulatory conditions that facilitate business activity.
Preparations for the event are continuing, with DCIPC coordinating with diplomatic missions, consulates, honorary consulates and prospective international business participants.
With investors from Asia, the Americas and Europe being targeted, the city is seeking to expand its investment network beyond its immediate regional market and establish stronger commercial links between Mindanao, Borneo and the wider international business community. DEF
