THE MINDANAO Development Authority (MinDA) and foreign chambers of commerce have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to link international investors with local enterprises.
MinDA chairperson Secretary Leo Tereso A. Magno said the agreement is a result of the two-day Mindanao Development Forum (MDF) 2026 held Oct. 27-18, leading to continuing cooperation among government, the private sector, and international business communities.
“The development forum is not just about shared ideas; it is about partnerships that we build and the actions that we commit to take together,” Magno said.
Present at the signing were Antonio Peralta, chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP)—Southern Mindanao; Peter Cowles, president of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines in Mindanao (AmCham Mindanao); Jocelyn Romero, third vice president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines; and Tesui Kitae of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Mindanao.
The MOU sets a framework for investment promotion, investor referrals, business matching, trade linkages, and business-to-business and business-to-government engagements between Mindanao stakeholders and international business networks.
MinDA Executive Director Undersecretary Janet M. Lopoz said the partnership is expected to produce actual projects by connecting investors with local enterprises and communities.
“Let us make sure that what we have agreed on, signed, and committed to here will really turn into actual projects on the ground,” Lopoz said.
The agreement creates a MinDA–Mindanao Foreign Chambers Coordination Mechanism, which will monitor investment leads, identify priority activities, facilitate introductions among stakeholders, and sustain collaboration beyond MDF 2026.
Under the deal, the foreign chambers will promote Mindanao’s investment opportunities through their international networks, facilitate connections with prospective investors, and share market insights to help strengthen the region’s competitiveness.
MinDA, for its part, will facilitate investor referrals, provide investment information, coordinate with project proponents and government partners, and follow up on business leads generated by the partnership.
The parties will collaborate on investment forums, business missions, project pitching, investor briefings, and an investment and partnership marketplace.
Priority sectors include agribusiness, infrastructure, renewable energy, manufacturing, tourism, logistics, and economic zones.
The partnership is also expected to benefit Mindanao enterprises, farmers’ organizations, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and project proponents with access to international markets, prospective investors, technical expertise, and business networks.
