DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 29 Oct) — Around 80 delegates from Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area will participate in the three-day BIMP-EAGA Trade and Tourism Fair here slated for Nov. 9-11.
During “Wednesdays Media Forum at the Habi at Kape,” Romeo L. Castañaga, regional director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Davao, announced that each BIMP-EAGA member country will have its own pavilion during the fair at the activity center of the Abreeza Mall where they will present tourism opportunities and showcase products and services from small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
“This is a very significant event. It provides an opportunity for our enterprises to showcase their products and services, especially for export trade and domestic purposes,” he said.
Castañaga hopes that through the trade fair, the local SMEs will gain access to potential markets, emphasizing that delegates from Mindanao are ready for export in terms of quality, production volume, and willingness to engage international buyers.
The Philippines will showcase a variety of food and non-food products, including Halal goods, cacao, coffee, coconuts, processed fruits and nuts, and textile and fashion accessories, produced by SMEs across Mindanao, which will take center stage at the fair, Castañaga said.
In addition to the trade fair, business-to-business matching activities will be conducted aimed at linking up local SMEs with potential investors.
Established in 1994, BIMP-EAGA is a sub-regional economic cooperation initiative in Southeast Asia designed to spur economic development. According to the BIMP-EAGA website, this initiative intends to boost growth in trade, investments, and tourism through new intra-region shipping routes and air links, as well as power interconnection projects.
For Mindanao, Castañaga said that they aim to strengthen the Halal sector and develop additional economic zones or ecozones capable of hosting manufacturing facilities.
He said ecozones have available power and infrastructure to meet the needs of potential locators. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
