RDC: 1st Davao Business Conference

The 2022 Davao Business Conference held on 18th March 2022 was a great success for local and international businesses and investors. Can Davao establish itself as an international hub? That was the question at the center point of the conference which was spearheaded by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines and Davao Chamber (DCCCII) along with other EU Chambers from France, Spain, Germany, Austria, The Netherlands and the Nordic Chamber.

The keynote speakers were President DCCCII Malou Monteverde; Italian Embassy in the Philippines, Ambassador Marco Clemente; EU Delegation in the Philippines, Head of Cooperation Mr. Christoph Wagner;  MinDA, Deputy Executive Director Romeo Montenegro; DCIPC, Unit Head Christian Cambaya; Head of the Davao del Norte Local Economic and Investment Promotions Office Joevynar Miedes; DCCCII VP  John Carlo Tria;Arch. Italpinas Chairman/CEO Arch. Romolo Nati; Damosa Land President Ricardo Lagdameo. The panel discussion was also joined by JHG Trading Inc. President John Gaisano Jr. and Allado Construction President & CEO Ramon Allado. 

The city of Davao is known for its prosperity and as one of the leading business centers not only in Mindanao but throughout the Philippines. As the crown jewel of Mindanao, the city is a hub for trade and commerce, tourism, education and finance in the southern Philippines. The city is one of the best places to invest in because the city has a diverse and multicultural population, is rich in natural resources, is one of the safest cities in the county and is made of happy and proud people. 

The speakers concluded that investing in Davao is a new frontier towards the ASEAN and the world as the city advances in international importance through recent increase in infrastructure investments and agri-produce such as Cocoa, Coffee, Coconut Oil, Bananas and other products. The head of cooperation from EU Delegation Christoph Wagner also presented some of the EU financed programs aligned for this region to support the value chain and to enhance the export development of agri-businesses. Direct investment experiences in Mindanao from Italian companies like Italpinas Development Corporation have highlighted the fertile grounds that the region offers to foreign investors. DCIPC, Unit Head Christian Cambaya underlined the investment opportunities and openness to do business by local stakeholders, a peculiarity that also the Italian Ambassador to the Philippines noticed during his recent official visit to the southern city. Thanks to this event and the inter-chamber relationships more European businesses will be interested to explore opportunities in the region. The Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines has an important role in Mindanao and spearheads various activities and projects from north to south. These regional development business conferences are part of series of events held in various regions in order to invite local stakeholders to connect to the international market and European investors. More information can be obtained by writing to info@iccpi.org.ph.