A 57-MEMBER delegation from Malaysian is visiting Davao City on Nov. 19–21 to explore business linkages and potential investments, Malaysian Trade Commissioner Siti Azlina said. In a statement, the Manila-based Ms. Azlina said the Malaysian External Trade Development Corp. (Matrade), the Malaysian trade promotion agency, is organizing the visit that will include business matching between the delegation, representing 38 companies, and local firms. “Given Mindanao’s strength in the agricultural sector and its abundance of natural resources, Malaysia would be interested to explore collaboration in this area and see where we can complement our manufacturing base,” said Ms. Azlina. Other sectors that will be looked into are food and beverage, personal and health care products, construction and building materials, information and communication technology, and logistics services. Ms. Azlina said the visit is part of Malaysia’s campaign to strengthen its position as a trade partner of the Philippines, especially with the links within the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area. Malaysia was the country’s fourth biggest trading partner within the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2018, with a trade value of $6.18 billion. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

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