2015 Heralds the Decade of Mindanao, in Time for the ASEAN Integration

Mindanao, the second largest and southernmost island in the Philippine archipelago, is a hotbed of economic potential. Endowed with rich natural resources, highly diverse cultures, and strategic location in a complex and rapidly growing region, tapping into the possibilities of Mindanao as fuel for furthering economic gains is worth noting, especially now that the ASEAN economic integration is poised to happen on year 2015.

Positioned as the seat of the Islamic sector in our country, with people of the Islamic faith being one of the fastest growing communities in the world, 60% of which calls the ASEAN region their home, Mindanao is the perfect gateway for administering our country as an active player in the world market. And with the ASEAN envisioning a highly competitive single market through the economic merging called the ASEAN Economic Community or AEC, it is high time to transition Mindanao as an active growth partner along with the rest of the Southeast Asian nations that are gearing up to be established as a single regional bloc with free movement of goods, services, investment, talent, and free flow of capital.

Transition to Integration

An ASEAN Community will reinforce ASEAN’s centrality and role as the driving force in charting the evolving regional architecture. “It will enable synergies and economies of scale that leverage on the cultural affinity, common values, and natural resources found across the 10 nations,” shares Rey Billena, Regional Governor of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) for Southwestern Mindanao and conference director of the 23rd Mindanao Business Conference, . “In anticipation of this development, we look to Mindanao, not just as a gateway, but as a valuable key to bolstering our country’s economic framework in relation to the ASEAN member states.”

With the direction set, the rest now stands at the foothold of the industries to be affected in the economic merging. A key component in Mindanao’s role as a gateway is the business of Halal. As a global mindset, Halal encourages inclusion, which not only unites the ASEAN nations but also the ASEAN industries under food, tourism and services, and health and beauty. “This is exactly why we are priming Mindanao and the business opportunities that it holds. These are projected to ripple towards tourism, not just through visits, but also through investments that create permanence for the region,” notes Amor Maclang, Director of Terra Firma, a land solutions and investment company that advocates and focuses on the development of Mindanao in preparation for ASEAN 2015.

Reinforcing Mindanao

This and all other implications of the ASEAN integration shall be discussed at the 23rd Mindanao Business Conference or MINBIZCON, where business leaders, members of the local chambers of commerce, government policy makers, investors, and foreign trading partners in the region will be gathered to talk about promoting prosperity and cooperative peace as a single bloc in the world economy.

With “Growth Beyond Convergence” as this year’s theme, MINBIZCON will expound on the multiple industries that connect the AEC—free trade agreements, energy efficiency, and financing growth, among others. To be hosted both by the General Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc (GSCCCII) and the Sarangani Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (SCCII), MINBIZCON is geared at fleshing out the intent to proactively anticipate the ASEAN integration by 2015.

The plenary topics include: Positioning Mindanao in the ASEAN Market, ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, The ASEAN Market, ASEAN Connectivity, Energy Efficiency, Financing Growth, Intellectual Property, Product Standards and Conformance.

“The conference will be centered on the convergence of stakeholders in the ASEAN region to rally behind integration, and in turn, promote shared economic prosperity and cooperative peace as we compete in the world economy,” ends Mr. Billena.