By Carmelito Q. Francisco and Maya M. Padillo, Correspondents
DAVAO CITY — The business sector has called on the city government to push for the creation of economic zones to lure more investors, especially foreigners.
Arturo M. Milan, incoming president of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc., said that since last year, foreign business groups that have visited the city have been inquiring about economic zones.
“If the government is serious in attracting investors, they should be the ones to look for the place and establish an economic zone,” said Mr. Milan in a media forum on Jan. 17.
He cited the business delegation from Taiwan that visited the city last week as making the same inquiry.
During the Davao Investment Conference last year, a group of Indonesian investors that wanted to sell cement in the city also proposed the setting up of an economic zone.
Mr. Milan said investors prefer sites with complete amenities such as the economic zone of the Floirendo group in neighboring Panabo City, which has an international port.
“So that they (investors) can evaluate the real terms, whether other countries can offer this or are we more competitive… I’ve been saying, we can only promote investments in Davao Region and Mindanao, but our investment promotion has been very ‘biblical’, we don’t have a clear offering, para bang (its like) ‘seek and you shall find’,” Mr. Milan said.
Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Director General Charito B. Plaza, in her visit to Davao City last year for the opening of a PEZA center, also called for the establishment of more economic zones in the country’s south, including those on islands around mainland Mindanao.
Early this week, Ms. Plaza visited the city council to discuss with the local legislative members the possibilities for setting up economic zones.
However, the main challenge in setting up economic zones in Davao City is the availability of big enough areas.
Assistant Secretary Romeo M. Montenegro, Mindanao Development Authority deputy executive director, said in a separate interview that most of the potential properties are privately owned and acquiring these would be very expensive due to “speculative prices.”
“We are considering government-owned lands to be converted into economic zones, but this would entail a long process,” said Mr. Montenegro.
“We want to make available areas, specific locations along the areas of Mindanao Development Corridor, where we can find the viability of promoting agri-ecozones particularly directed at specific commodities, provided with support by necessary infrastructure, logistics. This is where the government and private sector have really work together,” he added.
