LOGISTICS Company 2GO, together with the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc (DCCCII), held a business forum on March 19 to strengthen the island’s economic growth and maritime transport.
The business forum series “Advancing Mindanao’s Inclusive Growth,” held in Davao City, aims to connect local suppliers, producers, and manufacturers with markets in the Visayas and Luzon, as well as international markets.
In her opening remarks, Ethel Concepcion, 2GO Group Inc. corporate marketing and communications head, said that Davao City has been one of the region’s most dynamic economic centers by its strength in agriculture, food production, trade and services that continue to support the supply chains across the Philippines.
According to MinDA undersecretary Janet Lopoz, Mindanao has a high logistics cost of around 30.32% of total sales, based on a joint study by the agency and the World Bank.
Named the “Philippines’ Food Basket,” Mindanao comprises 36% of the country’s farmland and contributes to 42% of the national food trade.
The growth drivers are power and renewable energy, IT-BPO (Business Process Outsourcing), agribusiness, transport and logistics, manufacturing, and services (tourism, hotels, restaurants), buoyed by a population of 27 million.
DCCCII also has strategic initiatives and growth plans as part of the partnership that focus on enterprise development and innovation, market access and export growth, and data-driven decision making, along with key actions set for the first quarter of 2026.
Last year, 2GO launched Davao to Cebu in Jun 2025 to boost tourism, trade, and connectivity in Visayas and Mindanao. The company also kicked off the Davao to Iloilo route, including other routes in Mindanao, such as Cagayan to Bacolod and Batangas to Caticlan.
