35th Mindanao Business Conference
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has been invited to grace the closing ceremonies of the 35th Mindanao Business Conference (MINBIZCON) on August 13 at The Atrium, Limketkai Center.
Oro Chamber President Almarco C. Brito, who is also the deputy MINBIZCON director, cited how previous sitting Philippine presidents like Fidel V. Ramos, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Rodrigo R. Duterte had established the tradition of gracing the conference closing ceremonies.
“We are hoping President Marcos will keep this tradition alive by joining our closing rites on August 13,” Brito said in a recent press conference.
Policy Agenda
The last day of the Mindanao Business Conference has traditionally been highlighted by the presentation of the Mindanao Business Policy and Action Agenda to the President.
Brito said high on the list of top priorities of this conference will be the Mindanao Railway System and the lowering of the high cost of electricity in the island region.
“Electricity constitutes thirty percent (30%) of the total cost of manufacturing,” Brito stressed. “How can we attract investors with our current high cost of electricity? We cannot be competitive.”
He also mentioned how the removal of the system loss as proposed by the President in his latest SONA will benefit everyone.
“System loss makes up five percent (5%) of our current electricity bill,” he noted. Another parallel policy priority would be the attainment of Renewable Energy (RE) parity with thermal sources in Mindanao as advocated by the co-organizer Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) to 50/50 by the end of 2030.
“When we hosted the MINBIZCON in 1994 we touted how Mindanao had the lowest cost of electricity in the Philippines then, which resulted in the two positive investor outcomes, including the reform bar factory in the Phividec Industrial Estate,” he noted.
Core Policy Watch Focus Areas
During the last MINBIZCON held in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, Brito committed to monitor with Oro Chamber and MinDA project Policy Watch track and monitor policy agenda of previous MBCs.
To further bolster this initiative, the Oro Chamber with PCCO conducted policy consultations in various cities and provinces collating resolutions for presentation to the president as the island’s action agenda.
These would include Economic Resolutions to be drafted into formal policy recommendations during the opening day investment forum, and Legislative Submissions to channel private sector resolutions directly to local councils and the Office of the President of the Philippines as Mindanao’s official economic blueprint.
Expected to be high on the agenda will be Sustainable Digital Infrastructure to upgrade connectivity and smart logistics frameworks across regional hubs; Modern Agricultural Value Chains to enhance food security, logistics, and tech integration in farming production; and BIMP-EAGA Trade Networks to scale cross-border economic ties and export potentials within the East ASEAN Growth Area.
Aside from the presidential visit, Brito said the last day of the conference will also highlight the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Board of Directors Meeting to be held earlier in the morning at the Limketkai Luxe Hotel Boardroom.
Another luminary expected to grace the conference is Malaysian Ambassador to the Philippines His Excellency Dato’ Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino Anthony since Malaysia is the partner country of the 35th MINBIZCON.
