At the opening of the 23rd Mindanao Business Conference here yesterday, President Benigno S. C. Aquino III failed to attend after “equally important commitments have rendered him unable,” according to Secretary Luwalhati R. Antonino, chair of the Mindanao Development Authority.
Ms. Antonino, nonetheless, stressed that “President Aquino remains solidly committed to our collective Mindanao development agenda.”
The President, in a speech read by Ms. Antonino, said, “My administration has recognized the importance of Mindanao development to our overall march for national progress. It is just timely and relevant that we endeavor to put Mindanao at the forefront of our efforts to achieve inclusive growth.”
While business leaders and other participants in the annual event, organized by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), declined to verbalize their disappointment over the President’s absence, majority in the conference were lined up at the lunch buffet table as Ms. Antonino delivered the speech.
ASEAN INTEGRATION
The business sector is focusing on positioning Mindanao in the regional market as the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) prepares for economic integration by end-2015, with discussions yesterday focused on efforts to make firms more competitive in the advent of the ASEAN Economic Community.
PCCI President Alfredo M. Yao said it is crucial to “make sure that the business community is involved in the integration process.”
The first day of the conference was dedicated to plenary sessions that tackled free trade agreements and the ASEAN market. These discussions will continue today, and will touch on connectivity options with ASEAN neighbors.
Mr. Yao yesterday cited the opening of the Davao City-General Santos City-Tahuna-Bitung cargo service route that is expected to boost trade between Mindanao and North Sulawesi in Indonesia The roll-on roll-off ferry will start plying the route by Oct. 1.
Mr. Aquino, in his speech, recognized the initiative: “I commend the efforts of the Chambers of Commerce of Davao, General Santos, and North Sulawesi for working for the establishment of shipping services... this route certainly augurs well for achieving greater economic interchange between Mindanao and North Sulawesi, Indonesia...”
PCCI’s Mr. Yao also pointed to the need to work on the government’s economic policies and regulatory framework.
Earlier, Mindanao business leaders called on government for more liberalized banking and land ownership policies following consultation rounds in various parts of the southern island conducted by PCCI-Mindanao in the run-up to the conference.
Rey L. Billena, chair of the conference and director of the business chamber for Region 12, said investors in Mindanao believe that more open banking and land ownership rules are key to drawing more foreign investors and allowing growth for micro, small and medium enterprises.
POWER SUPPLY
Stable power supply and efficient energy use was another main point of discussion during the conference yesterday as Mindanao continues to cope with the shortage that is expected to be addressed in the short term by coal-fired plants being constructed by private companies.
Mindanao leaders are pushing for reforms in the management of the Pulangi and Agus power complexes, both government-run, which account for about half of Mindanao’s power requirement.
One of the proposals is the formation of a new power company, and the exemption of these two plants from the required privatization of state’s power generating capacities under the Energy Power Industry Reform Act.
Both plants require extensive rehabilitation work and the government has yet to decide on what to do with the facilities and its management set up in the future.
In his speech, Mr. Aquino vowed to make sure that Mindanao will not suffer from power supply shortages even beyond his term.
He did not specify measures.
“The Department of Energy and the Mindanao Development Authority had spearheaded efforts to ensure that both immediate and long-term measures are pursued to resolve the power situation in Mindanao,” the President said.
“Specific measures were also laid down help accelerate investments in power generation, including renewable energy projects, with the end goal of boosting supply to address surging energy demand of the growing Mindanao economy,” Mr. Aquino said.
However, the new coal-fired plants that are expected to go online starting the end of this year are not expected to meet growing power supply demand beyond 2020. -- Marifi S. Jaraand Carmelito Q. Francisco
source: Businessworld
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