COTABATO CITY — Traders in Central Mindanao were elated with the formal launching of the multi-billion KCC Mall in Cotabato City on Tuesday.

Cotabato City is the regional capital of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), whose territory also encompasses the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi and two other southern cities, Lamitan and Marawi.

The lawyer-entrepreneur Ronald Hallid Torres, chairman of the Bangsamoro Business Council (BBC), told reporters on Wednesday that the launching of the KCC Mall augurs well with their efforts of proving to their counterparts in other regions and abroad that it is safe now to put up capital-intensive businesses in Cotabato City.

“The setting up of this very big mall in Cotabato City will create the impression among our friends in the business communities outside of the autonomous region and abroad that it is safe now to put up big businesses in barangays around,”  said Mr. Torres, a resident of Cotabato City and spokesperson of their large organization.

More than 300 guests attended Tuesday’s symbolic launching and blessing by a Catholic priest of the mall.   

“This new KCC Mall in Cotabato City is, for us and our client traders, a very powerful magnet that can attract more outsider traders to come into the Bangsamoro region and put up capital-intensive business ventures,” said Mohammad Omar Pasigan, chairman of the Regional Board of Investments. — John Felix M. Unson

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