By Antonio L. Colina IV
MindaNews
DAVAO City — Continued improvements in the peace and security conditions in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will lay the foundation for potential investments from major Japanese companies, the Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines said.
In an interview at the Consulate General of Japan in Davao on Friday, Ambassador Endo Kazuya said some Japanese investors are still considering investing in BARMM.
“Regarding private investors, I think we have many of the investors who are still in the process of considering the possibility. I don’t see any concrete projects to be implemented in the near future yet,” he said. “But a peaceful, stable, and secure environment is really the foundation for potential investments.”
He said the Japanese government is supporting the peace process in the region, viewing it as an opportunity to further strengthen ties between Japan and the people of Mindanao.
Japanese companies have been operating in Mindanao’s agricultural sector, including banana and pineapple farms run by Sumifru in some parts of Mindanao, he said.
The Ambassador said he is hopeful about the outcome of the 1st Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections on September 14, 2026, expressing optimism for a more improved security situation.
“We hope that with the expected elections coming quite soon, and we hope that the security situation will be improved, it will make an appropriate environment for potential investors to really think seriously about whether and which industry they will be investing in,” he said.
At the National Day Reception to celebrate the birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan on February 19 at the SMX Convention Center Davao, Japanese Consul General Ono Hirotaka said he hopes to see a stronger and more vibrant relationship between Japan and Mindanao.
Hirotaka acknowledged Japan’s strong ties with Mindanao in economic relations, cultural and educational exchanges, and people-to-people connections.
The consul general expressed the Japanese government’s strong commitment to support the economic development of Mindanao, noting that the Consulate began implementing projects under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) in 2025 across several areas, including Cotabato province, Davao del Norte, and Surigao del Norte.
Through the GGP, the Japanese government “provided facilities and equipment for education, health, agriculture, and capacity building, which support development projects that are initiated by local communities to satisfy diverse needs at the grassroots level, helping the Filipino people,” according to the Embassy of Japan.
He said residents of Davao also witnessed last year the ceremonial breakthrough of the southbound and northbound tunnels of the Davao City Bypass Construction Project, an initiative supported by the foreign government’s Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The 45.5-kilometer bypass road includes the country’s first-ever twin 2.3-kilometer-long mountain tunnels.
