A 15-team trade mission will leave for Fujian, China on May 8 to promote the Davao Region as investment destination as well as to forge ties with business groups in the country.
Arturo M. Milan, president of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told the TIMES that the trade mission is composed of local company captains, among them Ferdinand Y. Maranon of the Sagrex Corp. and Joji Ilagan-Bian of the Joji Ilagan Career Center.
“The members of our delegation are top business executives in their own right, so we hope to generate enough buzz in luring Chinese investors to look at the possibilities not just in the city, but in the entire region,” he added.
Even before the trip, Milan said his office already received several inquiries from Chinese investors either through the Chinese Consulate or directly to the business chamber.
Milan said his group will sign a sisterhood agreement with the Fujian business group.
“(Chinese) Consul General (to Davao City) Li Lin facilitated the sisterhood agreement with the Fujian group,” said Milan, pointing out that the Chinese official is from that area.
Li earlier mentioned that a group of Chinese investors was looking at investing in a hospital in the city.
The chamber will also promote the upcoming Davao Investment Conference on June 20-21.
Delegations from Shanghai and Fujian were supposed to join the Mindanao Business Conference in September 2018, but due to a weather disturbance, many of the delegates to the event backed out even President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s attendance was also not present as he had to preside over the meeting on the impact of the weather disturbance.
Milan said that he hopes the Chinese delegates “will be able to attend because we have prepared a presentation to convince them to invest in the city.”
