Emerging opportunities

Ruffy Magbanua

“Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A world of optimism and hope. A ‘can do spirit’ when things are tough.” -Richard M. DeVos

FOR the nth time, icons of the business community in Mindanao have been crying out loud for Imperial Manila to heed the call of economic equity (read: equal distribution of wealth) to regional growth centers like Cagayan de Oro and the rest of the island’s emerging key cities.

But with an iota of doubt, Mindanao’s clarion call for economic prosperity may turn out doomed at the very start. Not until Imperial Manila’s superiority complex is squashed, the so-called emerging opportunities for Mindanao may come, but in trickles, and may be in measly drops of the manna from heaven, or just a  slice of the country’s economic pie.

Not until the national government takes cognition of its dismal failure to spread the gospel of growth with equity, Mindanao will always be in the map of the forgotten and the abandoned.

From developing the vast fertile lands to improving infrastructure facilities to providing jobs to the jobless, to uplifting health and education sectors, name it, these are what Mindanaoans, since time  immemorial, have been clamoring to high heavens to come down on them, sooner, not later.

Mindanaoans like me (I was born and raised in M’lang, North Cotabato–Secretary Manny Pinol’s turf) hasn’t seen real progress per se. What we still have is a land of wars and conflict. A land  being used as dumping site of scalawags of men in uniform, a land badly beaten by corrupt and abusive national government.

This island being rich in natural resources makes the economy of Imperial Manila richer and in shape, thanks but no thanks to Mindanao’s fat contribution to the national coffers.

While Mindanao holds an incredible wealth to brag about yet it continues to spawn dark moments of truth.

Mindanao is always beset with news about clan wars, religious overtones,   kidnappings by the dreaded Abu Sayyaf, piracy, political dynasties,  corruption, poverty, regular clashes and killings are some of the worst scenes elsewhere in the island.

Along with these grim scenarios, the island stalks with hunger. Mindanao has the highest poverty incidence of 23 percent.

But despite the corruption, threats, killings, and poverty Mindanaoans face, they remain to be strong people as it were.

This holds true to the organizers of  the 26th Mindanao Business Conference (Minbizcon) scheduled on Sept. 7-9, 2017 at the iconic Xavier Estates Sports and Country Club,  Xavier Estates, this city.

With no sign of doldrums whatsoever, key players of Minbizcon urged every Cagay-anon to support the biggest gathering of Mindanao’s business community.

More than 1,000 business executives, investors, industry players, policy makers, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are expected to attend this year’s business conference with the theme: “Emerging Opportunities – One Mindanao.”

Invited as keynote speaker is no less than the President of the Republic of the Philippines, President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

Mindanao Business Conference or Minbizcon is considered the largest annual gathering of business leaders, policy makers, stakeholders and professionals both from government and private sectors to advocate policy issues and concerns through consultation and adoption of   resolutions affecting business in Mindanao.

Minbizcon papers will form part of  the action/policy  agenda of  Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) for submission to the President of the Philippines during the Philippine Business Conference traditionally held every October of each current year.

Tapped as co-hosts are the City Government of Cagayan de Oro  through Mayor Oscar Moreno and the Province of Misamis Oriental through Gov. Bambi Emano. Cooperators include Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Department of Agriculture (DA).

The Minbizcon 2017 Executive Committee is composed of the following: Robert E. Pizarro, Oro Chamber President, past president Ruben A. Vegafria,  chairman, Minbizcon 2017, PP Antonio D. Uy,  PCCI VP for Mindanao, PP Efren T. Uy, PCCI regional governor, Northern Mindanao and chairmen of various management committees.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) which serves as the convenor is the voice of Philippine business and is the largest  voluntary business organization in the country today. It is a proactive catalyst of development in partnership with government, local chambers and other business organization.

Co-covenor of the two-day business event is the Mindanao Development Authority (Minda), created under Republic Act. No. 9996  on Feb. 17, 2010 under President Gloria Arroyo.

Minda serves as the lead agency in coordinating and integrating  development efforts that bring about accelerated  socio-economic development of  Mindanao.  It was formerly known as Mindanao Economic Development Council or Medco.

Last year’s host was the Surigao Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) led by its president Concepcion Paqueo which tackled the issues on Mindanao’s capability to sustain inclusive economic growth including concerns affecting the agricultural and tourism sector.

Other issues taken up were slow Internet and telecom connection, peace and security, climate change and power issues (high electricity rates and outages) and renewable sources of energy in Mindanao.

Emerging opportunities for Mindanao?  Well, there is always that difficulty in every opportunity. But always the optimists, Mindanaoans see an opportunity in every difficulty.

E-mail: ruffy44_ph2000@yahoo.com