ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 4 June) – The Department of Trade and Industry in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DTI-ARMM) is holding this month a two-day business conference in Bongao, Tawi-tawi.
Sakiran Hajan, DTI-ARMM secretary, said the two-day event dubbed as the 1st ARMM International Business Conference will be held June 17-18 at the Sandbar Lepa Convention Center in Pasiagan, Bongao.
The event is anchored on the theme “Strengthening Public-Private Partnership Towards Economic Stability in ARMM.”
Hajan said the event is aimed at showing the participants the business and tourism potentials of Tawi-tawi and the entire ARMM.
He said it will also serve as guide for stakeholders where and on what business they could invest.
Among the topics to be discussed are opportunities and prospects in the following industries: palm oil, rubber, coffee, seaweed, and aquaculture and mariculture.
He said that Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, one of the invited resource speakers, will talk on the opportunities and prospects in franchising business.
Hajan said that several business and tourism industry stakeholders have been invited as resource persons.
Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo and ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman will also grace the business event.
The other topics to be tackled are opportunities and challenges in investing in power and utilities, renewable energy as alternative business, water resources development and management, ecotourism, adaptation mechanisms as response to climate variabilities to enhance business projections in the ARMM, financing programs for micro-small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and strengthening business linkages between the country through ARMM to Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia-Tarakan, Indonesia (3Ts) Growth Area.
Hajan said the two-day event will be preceded by a trade fair and exhibits on Monday, June 16.