THE GOVERNMENT of Governor Generoso Davao Oriental is eyeing seaport connectivity to Miangas Island, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, to strengthen fisheries and agricultural trade and commerce in the coastal community.
Asec. Romeo Montenegro, Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) deputy executive director, said on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, that the cooperation is currently in the exploration stage.
Montenegro said Governor Generoso Mayor Jaunito Inojales Inojales initiated the discussion with counterparts in North Sulawesi during the outbound business mission in Manado, Indonesia, on April 9.
During a meeting with Talaud Regent Welly Titah, Inojales, along with other officials from the Davao region, pushed for a sisterhood agreement with a focus on Miangas Island.
Montenegro said the proposal includes cooperation in fisheries, agriculture, trade, and tourism, as well as knowledge exchange, technical cooperation, and livelihood initiatives for coastal communities.
“They are coming up with something in terms of specific agreement, that’s why they also look forward to the support of Minda in assisting them from the national government on the policies,” he said.
Montenegro said this includes infrastructure investment with a focus on the seaport in Governor Generoso for them to accommodate vessels and serve that route.
The official added that both parties are working with MINDA on policies in terms of products that will be catered in the seaport from Miangas, and vice versa.
Montenegro said this is to capitalize on the marine trading opportunities as Miangas is approximately 80-100 kilometers from the coast of Davao Oriental.
The eyed cooperation stems from the Mindanao Gateway Triangle concept, which advances a broader economic corridor that links Mindanao and North Sulawesi.
The Gateway Triangle covers Davao de Oro, Davao Oriental, and Davao Occidental, which are now being positioned as part of an integrated development platform linking production zones, tourism sites, and logistics hubs to regional markets.
The Tri-Province Davao Gateway Corridor concept stems from a broader MinDA initiative first advanced in early 2026, which aims to integrate the three provinces into a unified air, land, and sea hub linked to BIMP-EAGA markets.
The strategy, Montenegro said, seeks to connect production areas, tourism destinations, airports, and seaports into integrated development corridors.
He added that Davao de Oro’s tourism industry, with its several spots in Maragusan and New Bataan, and its agricultural products, can also benefit from the connection.
The official added that this is part of the preparatory activities in anticipation of the operationalization of Mati Airport in Davao Oriental.
“The Mati Airport, definitely the local government of Davao Oriental, the city government of Mati will be inviting airline players to look at serving Mati airport,” he said.
He added that the Mati Airport is seen to be an international airport to serve air connectivity through smaller aircraft with the smaller islands of North Sulawesi.
