DAVAO CITY (PIA) – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is pushing to transform all areas in the Davao region into investment hubs, extending beyond the region’s key cities.
Speaking at the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas, DTI Regional Director Romeo Castañaga revealed that with the establishment of the Davao Region Investment Promotion Sub-Committee (DRIPS) of the Regional Development Council (RDC) XI, they are now supporting local government units (LGUs) in their investment promotion initiatives.
Castañaga explained that the sub-committee intends to implement a harmonized, integrated, and collaborative investment strategy to boost the local economy.
“Plano natin talaga yung mga investment promotion initiative ng mga LGUs matulungan natin sila (We really plan to help the investment promotion initiatives of the LGUs), and then we can promote Davao region as one not only a particular city or province but as a whole of Davao region,” he explained.
Castañaga said that one of the supports DTI XI is extending to LGUs is the facilitation of various trade fairs and investment promotion activities.
He said they had already lined up several trade fairs this year; of these, one is an international fair, the International Food Expo, seven are national, and four are regional.
For national fairs, these include the National Food Fair in SM Megamall in April, the OTOP Food Fair in Glorietta in June, the National Trade Fair in SM Megamall in July, National Arts and Crafts in SM Megamall and MTE Goes to Glorietta in October, 2025 Christmas Village in SM Megamall in November, and DTI Coconut Philippines Trade Fair in August.
The regional trade fairs for this year are the MTE Araw ng Dabaw Fair in March, the Bagong Pilipinas Beauty and Wellness Fair, the MTE Kadayawan Fair in August, and the MTE Christmas Event in December.
In terms of investment promotion activities, Castañaga said that for the third and fourth quarters of this year, DTI XI’s provincial offices, in partnership with the private sector, have planned four investment promotion activities.
These include GINTO Dde Oro: MSME Week; Produkto DavNor, Ato ni Buy Trade Expo; Davao Oriental’s INALIMA Tarde Fair and Exhibit Gi-Inang sang Alima Weaving Congress all in July; and Davao de Oro’s Investment Conference and Exporters’ Forum in October.
Castañaga emphasized that platforms like these have always been effective in introducing local products to the markets, thereby improving sales and attracting investment opportunities.
Moreover, Castañaga revealed that for this year, DTI XI aimed to assist 195 investors and 260 exporters in the region.
Meanwhile, Castañaga said that aside from attracting investors in the service and industry sectors, they are also targeting investors for eight priority industry clusters in the region: cacao, coffee, coconut, rubber, palm oil, processed fruits and nuts, wearables and homestyle, and bamboo.
“So we have new and sustained investment infusion into the region. In fact, may mga bagong investment tayong nakuha (we got new investments) through our PEZA and Board of Investments,” he added. (ASO/PIA XI)
